And it Finally Dawned Upon Them...
by Enchantress1
Summary: What REALLY happened at the Yule Ball... Hermione's with Krum but will he take u-know-who's place? Ron's jealous as hell! Hermione also has a secret admirer? And where does Harry come into all this? And what about Ginny? GUESS WHAT! I FINISHED IT! I jus
1. Chapter One...

And it finally dawned upon them

**And it finally dawned upon them...**

** **

_'Allo people! This fic starts at the Yule Ball, in Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts. Only this time, it's different...and has many surprising twists to it! ^_^ Read on an' enjoy and don't forget to review it! Thanx! Oh and another thing, if you haven't read the 4th book, don't read this! **  
  
**_

**_Disclaimer:_**_ J K Rowling owns all these characters and they're not mine! ;_; Only the plot is mine, so there! ;P_

_By Enchantress.  
[shrinemistress@hotmail.com][1]_

_ _

**Chapter One...**

Harry adjusted his robe and then straightened up to look at himself in the mirror in front of him. He smiled at his reflection and thought that he as looking pretty good, if only his hair would stop looking so unruly. He then turned around and saw Ron doing the same thing with another mirror, only his redheaded friend looked seasick. 

"Ron, relax, it's just a ball." said Harry, trying to calm himself as well as Ron. 

He was as nervous as Ron was, but he was determined not to let Ron guess. After all, at least one of them had to comfort the other. Ron looked up and gave Harry a watery smile.

"Uh huh! Easy for you to say! You've got a new dress robe and look at mine... yuck!" exclaimed Ron, waving his robes around and pretending to barf.

Harry laughed and so did Fred and George Weasley who had come up behind them, waving another of their creations, a toffee smelling suspiciously of barf...

*

On the other hand, in the girls' dormitory, there was a terrific noise. Some girls were pulling on their new robes, others making their hair, some helping their friends to create a new hairstyle and a few laughing hysterically as a young witch had tried to bewitch her long nose into becoming a petite one, only instead, it had grown two feet long. 

Hermione, one of the few who had finished their dressing up, helped the poor girl to straighten out her nose dilemma and then went looking for her good friend, Ginny Weasley, amongst the crowds of chattering girls.

"So there you are!" said Hermione as she found Ginny in front of one the many enchanted mirrors the girls had whipped up to look at themselves better. These mirrors not only could show a person from every angle, but gave advice on how to look better too.

"Hey Hermione!" replied Ginny, smiling, as she put an enchanted butterfly brooch on her robe that kept gently fluttering, flashing its lavender jewels. "You have no idea what I've been going through!" continued Ginny, this time keeping her voice faintly above a whisper. "I'm the only second year going and all the other girls have been trying to ruin my day! Even Elise tried to sabotage my broom so that I might break my leg before the ball!"

Ginny was going to the ball with Neville, one of Hermione's classmates who had asked Ginny out since all the other fourth year girls already had dates. 

Hermione laughed and sat down next to Ginny. 

"Don't slouch, girls!" came a strict order making both girls jump.

Ginny giggled when she saw the bewildered expression on Hermione's face as the girl tried to see who had spoken.

"It's the talking mirror! Remember, the one I told you about?" said Ginny and the same voice answered, "Oh, famous am I?" and then giggled. 

"Definitely a girl mirror alright!" laughed Hermione. "And relax will you!" she continued. "You look great and hey, you're not dead yet, right?" she continued and looked at Ginny, who had for once let her red hair loose and was wearing her teal colored robes which were looking very pretty.

"Look whose talking! By the way, how did you straighten your hair?" said Ginny, noticing that Hermione's bushy hair were now looking very straight and shiny.

"Heheheh... it's secret!" chirped Hermione, twiddling a lock of hair around her finger.

The two girls laughed again when Elsie tried blasting her pimples off again and grew a wart at the tip of her nose instead.

*

"Psst! Harry! Tell me... are these burnt edges of my robes really noticeable?" whispered Ron, trying to catch Harry's attention as they walked down the stairs with the other Gryffindor boys. 

"Ron, for the millionth time, they're okay!" said Harry grumpily. Ron kept asking these kinds of questions to Harry whenever he came at least two feet near him. 

_'Boy, is Ron nervous or what!'_ thought Harry, looking at his friend who was practically gnawing on his robes out of anxiety. Ron also looked very pale, not to mention his skin had a slight greenish tinge and his eyes had glazed over. 

_'Please let this ball be over with!' _prayed Harry as he stood with Ron at the foot of the stairs, waiting for their dates. 

Suddenly, without a word, Ron walked out of the hall they were standing in, and then returned shortly after.

"Where'd you go?"Asked Harry and noticed that Ron wasn't looking devastated as he had been looking before. 

"Anti-nervousness spell... Fred told me the instructions when he saw me! Apparently the Great Percy once had the same problem when he was meeting Penelope for the first time and he whipped up this spell." said Ron grinning crazily. Harry knew why though. Now Ron and the twins had another point to pester Percy about when he would meet him next. 

Harry also grinned and then saw that two girls were making their way down the stairs. 

"Wow!" Harry muttered as he saw his date in front of him, looking very pretty in fluttery pink robes. He held out his hand to Pavarati and escorted her to the Great Hall, stopping to glance at Ron who was smiling at the girl at his side with ease.

_'Yup, this is going to be fun...'_ Harry thought as he looking down at his date.

*

"They're beautiful!" Hermione exclaimed as her date, Victor Krum, handed her a bouquet of white flowers she couldn't recognize. "What kind of flowers are they?" Hermione continued as she created a vase with a wave of her wand and put the flowers in it.

Victor had surprised her by coming up to her dormitory, and the flowers were so unexpected that Hermione was thrilled. She had never been given flowers before and sneaking a peak at Victor as she adjusted the flowers, she thought he looked great in his dress robes.

"They're Bulgarian... I summoned them just for you." replied Victor, looked at Hermione's flushed face. 

Hermione thanked him shyly and said: "I'll find out their exact species at the library later... thanks again..."

Victor waved away all her thank yous and then he held out his arm to escort her to the ball.

Hermione sighed as Victor courteously led her downstairs.

_'So this is how it feels to be wanted...'_ thought Hermione as she practically floated down the stairs.

*

Ron wasn't having that good a time. His date was pretty and she loved dancing, but he felt that something was incomplete. She wasn't very clever he noticed. All she talked about while she was with him was about how much better they looked than the other dancers and kept coaxing him into paying compliments to her. 

Right now she was off dancing somewhere with some Ravenclaw boy and Ron was drinking butterbeer at the buffet table. He glanced at the food that was spread out before him and smiled. If Hermione were here, she'd probably start about how much labor the house elves would have done to prepare this feast. 

_'Speaking of Hermione... where is she? And whose her date?'_ thought Ron, suddenly getting angry, though he didn't know why. He scanned the dancing couples and still couldn't see her anywhere.

_'Well, I'll wait...'_ thought Ron as he finished his drink and cracked his knuckles, hurting himself in the process.

*

Hermione entered the Great Hall with Victor and caught her breath. The Great Hall looked beautiful. The hall was decorated tastefully and the theme colors seemed to be silver and white, her favorites. The Weird Sisters were playing a catchy song and numerous couples were dancing. The buffet table was groaning with the weight of food on it and Hermione noticed quite a few of her friends laughing and having a great time with their dates. The Weasley twins had summoned up a piñata and were trying to blindfold their friends and forcing them to hit it. 

Hermione laughed as one boy accidentally collided with the piñata. It broke and a pink, gooey slime splashed onto him. Victor was evidently not amused at this as he gave a disapproving look to the twins, who were by now forced to clean the mess by a furious Professor McGonagal. They were still trying to convince the Professor about the muggle custom of the piñata but evidently, she wasn't very happy to hear it. 

"Come, my Hermioniny," Victor drawled. "Let us dance... I have to start the dance officially with ze other champions, eh? Obviously the others don't vant to vait..." he said giving a dirty look to the people already dancing, and led Hermione away from the twins, who were now trying to enchant the broom so that it could clean the mess itself.

*

Now Harry was nervous. 

He had to start the dance and next to him was Cedric Driggory, looking very suave in his deep blue robes. Harry's date smiled at him and he felt more assured. Dumbeldore was giving some sort of introductory speech but Harry was too preoccupied to pay attention.

On the other hand, Cedric and his date, Cho Chang, were looking composed and very happy. Cho gave Harry a bright smile and his heart skipped a beat. At that moment, he hated Cedric with all his heart!

"And let the dance begin!" cried Professor Dumbeldore suddenly and the champions started dancing.

_'Hey, this isn't so hard!'_ thought Harry as he smiled at his date. _'And thank God she's good at dancing too!'_

Harry looked around and noticed that Victor Krum was now dancing along side him. Curious as to whom Krum had brought, Harry craned his neck to see his companion and then gasped.

It was Hermione!

Harry was so stunned that he accidentally stepped on his date's foot and she cried out.

"S-sorry..." Harry mumbled and looked at Hermione again. 

She was looking beautiful! Was it really Hermione? 

At that moment Hermione looked up and saw Harry gawking at her and she gave him a mischievous grin. She was evidently enjoying Harry's shock. Harry smiled back at her weakly and then concentrated back on his own date, who was by now pouting prettily at the lack of attention. 

_'Talk about the ugly duckling turning into the swan!'_ thought Harry with a wry smile. _'...not that Hermione was ever ugly...'_

Harry wondered if Ron would take it as well as he had.

*

Ten minutes later, Ron was still at the buffet table, even though he had no appetite. His 'date' had danced with about four different boys and now, as he saw, the fifth one. He was keeping an eye on her, but he didn't feel like dancing at all. He didn't even seem to mind that she was dancing with practically every guy available except him! 

Ron drained another butterbeer and glanced at the swaying couples before him again.

Suddenly, every muscle in his body tensed. He spat out his butterbeer and gaped at the couple dancing in the far corner of the hall and cursed fiercely, a ghastly thought occurring to him…

***

So, there so have it! The first chapter! Anyway, nowz the time to review it! It just takes less than 5 seconds! Thanks! ^_^

   [1]: mailto:shrinemistress@hotmail.com



	2. Chapter Two...

Chapter Two…

**And It Finally Dawned Upon Them…**

** **

**_Disclaimer:_**_ JK owns all. Period. _

_By Enchantress._

[shrinemistress@hotmail.com][1]

**Chapter Two…**

**(Revised edition)**

** **

_'Her-Hermione… and VIKTOR KRUM???_' thought Ron, his eyes growing wide. He clutched at the side of the table to steady himself. He was apoplectic with rage and he noticed that he was shaking all over. 

Ron steadied himself somewhat and walked shakily to some chairs, which to his relief were devoid of any people. 

"How can it be?" muttered Ron out loud, still staring at Hermione's happy face. 

His first instinct was to rush over to the two of them and knock Krum's teeth out! How dare he try to come between them! But then, Ron mused, what was between himself and Hermione after all?

They were best friends… Ron sincerely liked Hermione… she was fun to be with… sometimes she was a pain… but until tonight he had never felt so protective of her!

_'Ah! I don't like her in that way! I couldn't! She's my best friend! That's it… I'm just mad because she chose that Bulgarian rat over me! I'm just angry because she's my friend… that's all… that's ALL….'_ Ron kept thinking, his head in hands. 

"Hey Ron!" 

Ron looked up and saw Harry in front of him, holding two butterbeers and smiling. 

"Hey Harry…havin' fun? Where's Paravati?" asked Ron, straightening. "And please, if I see another butterbeer, I think I'll keel over." he finished as Harry tried to hand him a goblet.

"Paravati is dancing with some Huffelpuff guy… Ow! My feet feel like raw meat!" exclaimed Harry, flopping into the chair next to Ron. 

"What's wrong?" said Harry suddenly as he noticed that Ron looked miserable. "Your date hasn't deserted you has she?" asked Harry, his eyes growing wide.

"No, no… I don't feel like dancing, that's all…" muttered Ron, looking away. He knew Harry wouldn't be convinced.

"Uh huh! Well, are you going to tell me what's bothering you or not?" pursued Harry, swallowing another big gulp of his drink. 

"Have you seen Hermione lately?" said Ron giving Harry a false smile.

Realization seemed to dawn on Harry and all of a sudden he looked very uncomfortable.

"Oh-well, she had to come, right? And you didn't ask her so… I mean, I mean… well, Krum isn't that bad… but of course not that..." Harry tried to comfort his friend and finally gave up. 

"Relax Harry! I'm not going to throw a tantrum!" replied Ron, looking sarcastic. "I don't feel like dancing any more… if you see my -humph- date, then tell her I left. Not that it'll make any difference to her…" said Ron, standing up and glancing at his date, who was dancing with Draco Malfoy by now. 

"Ron, you can't go! I mean, it's not like Hermione doesn't like you or anything…" 

"Harry, I just don't feel like it, ok? No, I'm some sort of wounded hero in one of those crappy muggle books Hermione reads! I feel a bit sick that's all… maybe Percy's spell wore off, huh?" Ron said and strode away determinedly, leaving behind a confused Harry. 

*

Now Hermione was sure of it. 

Victor was a gentleman, he treated her kindly and danced every dance with her, he had after all, given her flowers, but he was as interesting as a doormat.

She was definitely bored.

His main topics of conversation were Quiditch, Quiditch, Bulgaria, and his mother… did I mention Quiditch?

By he end of the fifth song, Hermione was practically snoozing!Hermione had seen Harry (she had loved it when he had stared at her as if she had sprouted wings or something!) and she knew that he had had fun dancing with his date… but where was Ron? 

Hermione had been peering over her shoulder throughout every dance, trying to catch a glimpse of the usual Weasley red hair and had spotted Ginny with Neville, and Fred twice… or had it been George and Fred? She didn't know. But there was definitely no Ron on the dance floor.

At last, tired of hearing how Victor had caught the Snitch the fiftieth time in some famous tournament or the other, Hermione excused herself and asked Krum whether he could get her a drink.

After he left her, Hermione practically ran to some chairs in the far corner of the hall and exhausted, flopped down in one of them.

"Hi Hermione." came a solemn voice.

She glanced at the chairs next to her and saw Harry making his way across to her.

Hermione smiled and replied: "Hey Harry! Umm… where's Ron? I haven't seen him anywhere…" she peered at the dancers again.

"He didn't feel that great so he just went to get some air," said Harry, trying to sound casual.

Hermione frowned. 

Ron had never left a party when it was in full swing before. 

Trying to change the subject, because Harry knew Hermione's knack of asking questions all too well, Harry inquired whether she was having a good time.

"Umm, yeah great…" muttered Hermione in a distracted fashion. "Where'd you say Ron went?"

Harry swallowed awkwardly. He didn't know why, but he didn't want to tell Hermione that Ron had seen her with Krum and had left.

"I have no idea!" said Harry truthfully. 

At this, Hermione seemed even more flustered. 

The two of them didn't notice that another pair of eyes was watching them closely…

*

Ron wandered out of the Hogwarts building. He walked past Hagrid's hut and the Forbidden Forest and stopped at the lake. The lake was as still as the countryside around him and the reflections of the starlit sky were making it look eerie and uninviting. Ron walked over its edge and stared at the murky water beneath him for a moment and then decided to sit down. 

Overhead, he heard the hooting of a young owl as it flew past him.

_'Probably a late message'_ thought Ron as he pulled out a piece of grass and started chewing on it. 

The sounds of music slowly drifted towards him and he pictured Hermione in Krum's arms and having a great time._   
'I'm not jealous!'_ thought Ron fiercely. 

But a little voice in his head told him that he was lying through his teeth. 

Ron was jealous as hell and he knew it.

_'But I can't think of her that way! She's my friend!' _thought Ron stubbornly. Again that annoying voice seemed to say: So what? Can't you fall in love with a friend? 

_'Fall in what?? Love? Me? Hermione and me? Ha ha! As if!' _Ron thought and laughed. But then he stopped laughing abruptly and stared at the lake again, deep in thought. _'Do I love Hermione? Do I? Oh lord…' _

"I do love her… oh my god…" Ron suddenly whispered and groaning, put his head in his hands again. '_The day I finally realize that I'm in love with my best friend, I convince her that I don't even consider her a girl! Man… why didn't I ask her when I had the chance?? Now, she and, and… Krum!! I can't believe I ever admired that… that…'_

Ron groaned again. 

*

Hermione knew something as wrong.

Ron was acting totally out of character. She didn't know any more because Pavarati had come up and Harry was whisked away to dance again and he had been glad of the diversion. Hermione knew Harry wasn't telling her all he knew about Ron. But why wasn't he telling her everything? And where was Ron?

Hermione was so preoccupied with her thoughts, she didn't even notice that Krum had brought their drinks and was standing next to her. Suddenly feeling too tired to drink, Hermione refused. 

_'I know I'm being rude to Victor… he has been very sweet… but I'm so… worried I guess… where is Ron?! He's ruining my day!' _Hermione thought and then smiling apologetically at her date, said: "Victor, I don't feel so well… I'll just pop out and get a breath of fresh air… no, no…. you don't have to come… nothing serious… I'll be back soon! Enjoy yourself!" and saying so, Hermione practically ran out of the Great Hall.

*

Somewhere in the hall, one person had been watching the antics of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley with great interest. The person had first seen Weasley leave, then Potter's confusion and desperation and then had seen Granger run out. Smiled knowingly, the person knew the plan would work to perfection…

*

Hermione ran out of the hall and then stood outside for a moment and caught her breath. 

She then proceeded to run up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room. There was nobody there.

One by one, the teenager sped across corridors, peeked around corners and checked all the classrooms for any sign of Ron. He was still nowhere to be found. 

_'Where is that idiot? Doesn't he know what a bad time he's giving me? No well, I suppose he doesn't… but where is he hiding??'_Hermione thought and stopped at the huge statue of a gargoyle at the entrance of Hogwarts. Tired as she was, Hermione sat down at its base and stared at the full moon.

"What a romantic night! Full moon, beautiful place, a dance indoor and me sitting on a stupid stone monster trying to find that idiot-of-a-best friend all alone!" sighed Hermione. "But why did Ron leave? I didn't even get a chance to show off my date!" Hermione gave a wry smile. 

When Hermione had imagined this evening, she had thought that she would show Ron and Harry her date, Victor, and they would be shocked and then would at least treat her like a girl! But some how, it hadn't hone according to plan. Harry had responded exactly as she had imagined him to… but Ron hadn't even been there! Hermione would have enjoyed seeing him jealous ('obviously he would be because he hadn't asked her… nothing personal in it' Hermione had imagined) but she hadn't counting on him leaving. That meant something serious was wrong. Maybe Ron had gotten sick… may be he had sprained his ankle… what if his date had deserted him?

Sudden, horrible thoughts started occurring to Hermione and the color drained from her face. She had to find Ron… she just HAD to! 

Picking up her robes, Hermione ran into another maze of corridors looking for Ron.

*

_'Right this moment she's probably dancing with Krum… '_ Ron thought trying to skip a pebble on the lake_. 'But I have to tell her how I feel… she has to know… but what if she thinks of me as nothing but a best friend? I'll kill myself then! It'll ruin our friendship and that means a lot to me! But if I don't tell her then she'll never know! She might fly off to Bulgaria with that son of a…' _

Ron had been arguing with himself for over fifteen minutes. At last, he stood up, straightened his robes, passed a hand through his red hair and started walking towards the castle again.

He had to tell her. He didn't care what she felt. She had to know.

Determined, Ron stepped into Hogwarts…

**

_Oh look! Another chapter done! ^_^ And we're still not even close to the end! Heheheh! Didn't mean to scare y'all! Well, do review this! Arigato!_

   [1]: mailto:shrinemistress@hotmail.com



	3. Chapter Three... ((Revised Edition))

And It Finally Dawned Upon Them…

And It Finally Dawned Upon Them… 

**_Disclaimer:_**_ JK R. owns all these chara! So, don't sue me… I'm just a poor otaku. ^_^ _

_By Enchantress._

[shrinemistress@hotmail.com][1]

(Revised Edition!)

(Meaning that all (hopefully!)Spelling mistakes have been corrected and the letter has been changed slightly.)

Chapter Three…  
  
Harry danced three more dances with Paravati and enjoyed himself.

Paravati was a nice girl. She was funny, loved jokes and had a great sense of humor. She wasn't bad looking either. She also was a good dancer and hadn't minded when Harry had left her to talk to Ron.

But, on the other hand, Harry found her bubbly personality somewhat straining. He knew that she expected him to make her laugh, and Harry knew that he wasn't that much of a great joke teller. Whenever she would look at him with an expectant look on her face, Harry knew that it was time to say something witty. But whatever came out, it was mediocre. Harry started stuttering and somebody or the other always ruined the punch line. Also, the fact that he was The Great Harry Potter, the downfall of He Who Must Not Be Named, people expected him to excel in everything he did. And Paravati was no exception in these 'Harry believers'. Because of this tension, Harry was totally drained physically and emotionally at the end of the fourth dance.

"Paravati, can I get you something?" Harry asked her when the Weird Sisters ended another one of their foot-tapping songs. (Harry would have enjoyed it if only his feet hadn't hurt so much at every tapping.) What Harry really wanted to do was to excuse himself so that he could find out whether Ron was back. 

What he didn't know was that in the opposite corner of the room, an unhappy Krum was thinking along the same lines about Hermione.

"Awright, Harry," Paravati said smiling at him. "I'm kinda tired of dancing myself!" she finished and gave him a grin.

Harry smiled at her too, and said: "Aw, caught in the act!" and laughing, they both made their way to the buffet table.

*

Cho was miserable.

Cedric was the person she loved and he had asked her out. He had been an ideal date. He had waited for her when she took long dressing up, told her how beautiful she looked when she at last emerged, he had danced with her and perfectly corresponded with her every move, he had even given her a silver watch, which had an enchanted dial that told her all she needed to know by itself, as an early birthday present.

But now he had deserted her.

They had been happily (or so she had thought) dancing together when Pansy, a Sytherin girl, had come up to them. 

Cho had to admit that the other girl had been looking stunning. 

Pansy was wearing black robes that had a hint of sparkle in them, which twinkled whenever she walked in her elegant manner. (Cho guessed that she must have enchanted herself with some kind of 'refinement spell', it wasn't as if Snape would stop her since she was in his house) She was also wearing too much makeup that suited her splendidly. Her eyes were a cold gray and the mascara was making them look bigger. She was also wearing some kind of glittering peach gloss on her lips that didn't wear off, even when she drank from her goblet about a trillion times.

Anyway, Pansy had come up to them and asked Cedric whether he would dance with her. Cho had been sure that Cedric would refuse. Besides, she had thought, who ever heard of a girl cutting in? 

But Cedric had shocked her by agreeing as if it was the most natural thing in the world to leave your date in the middle of a SLOW song to go off with another girl!

Now, thirty minutes later, Cho was sitting on some chairs, having no clue as to where her date was. She silently cursed her luck and stood up.

She was leaving.

*

Hermione was now at her wits end.

She stood in the corridor for a couple of seconds, wondering what to do next. Ron couldn't be found anywhere. At last, tired and sore, she made her way to the Gryffindor common room again. She sat down on one of the comfy sofas and stared into nothingness. Suddenly, she heard a scratching sound from the window. Frowning, she went over to it glanced outside.

It was an owl.

"Owl post? At this time of night? I wonder whose it is…" said Hermione, opening the window and letting it in.

She recognized it as one of the school owls since it had Hogwarts' emblem engraved in the collar it wore. She patted its neck and untied the string holding the letter to the owl's leg.

"Why, it's addressed to me!" Hermione exclaimed, looking at her name printed on the envelope. Hermione was very confused. Who on earth would send her an owl from the school?

_'Uhh… I haven't done anything wrong have I? Have I been missing any of the classes?' _thinking the worst, she opened the letter with trembling fingers.

Her eyes grew wide at what was written.

*

"Hey Cho!" said Harry, still a bit nervous and embarrassed at talking to her ever since she had refused his offer of going to Yule Ball with him.

Harry had been eating a chicken drumstick when he noticed Cho walking resolutely towards the Great Hall's doors. She was looking even more beautiful than usual, her blonde hair loose and her baby blue robes swishing around her. Still, Harry noticed that she looked sad.

Cho looked at Harry and gave him a feeble smile. She seemed to be deciding whether to leave right there or linger and talk to him. Finally, she seemed to have made up her mind as she came towards him.

"Hi Harry. Having fun?" she said, looking distracted. Her mind obviously wasn't wondering whether Harry was enjoying himself or not. 

"Yeah, sure…" Harry said. 

_'Where's Cedric?'_ thought Harry, looking at Cho's ashen countenance. And why was Cho looking as if she had just come from a double Potions class? He handed her a goblet of ice cool water, hoping to snap her out of her trance.

As Cho drank the water Harry had offered her, Harry thought of the pros or cons of talking about Cedric. After Cedric had asked Cho out, Harry didn't like him one bit. 

What if he mentioned him and Cho would leave Harry to return to her date? Harry wanted to spend as much time with the girl as possible. 

"So, where are you going? Not leaving yet I hope." said Harry instead.

The water and his presence seemed to soothe Cho. She took a big gulp of her drink and then candidly replied: "Actually, I'm feeling terrible and want to leave." 

Harry was startled at hearing this. Everyone had whispering that Cedric and Cho made the model couple. What had gone wrong?

"Why?" Harry managed to say staring at the girl.

Cho gave a sad smile that pulled at Harry's heartstrings. He indicated towards the Hall's door and together they both left the hall.

*

Hermione looked as if she had seen a ghost. The message that the owl had brought was still staring at her from the oak table it was placed on. Her eyes scanned the contents of the letter for the fifth time.

_Dear Hermione_, (It said)

_  
How I've waiting to confess my true feeling to you… Watching you has been such a thrill for me… Hermione, I love you. I don't know whether you have the same feelings for me, so I'm writing this letter instead of confronting you. Please don't think I'm a coward. If you say no to me, I know I'll die! I just had to write to you… I've waited for so long…_

_Love,  
Your real admirer._

_PS: That Weasley isn't worth you. He doesn't even care about you. Don't waste your time on him. _

*

Ron entered the Great Hall once again. His brothers were having a great time, he saw. They were trying to impress some girls by their jokes as usual. Only this time, Fred was talking to only one girl, and now he had started dancing with her.

_'Hey! That's Paravati he's dancing with!' _thought Ron with a jolt. _'That's Harry's date! What's she doing with my brother? And she's looking so happy too! And where in the world's Harry?'_ he searched the crowd for his friend.

_'Don't tell me he's not here either! And what about Hermione?'_ thought Ron, remembering his purpose of coming into the hall again. 

He noticed Pavarati, his date, was now with Malfoy's gang and Ron smirked. _'Partying with the enemy I see!'_ he thought and continued to look for Hermione.

She was nowhere to be seen! Krum was taking to some of his 'groupies' by the table and he didn't seem to find anything amiss.

Ron kept searching, now walking through the crowd of students.

*

Victor Krum was enjoying himself. 

_'This Hogvarts izn't so bad, I see…'_ he thought looking at another girl's flushed face who held out her arm for him to autograph it for her. 

"Hey Krum! Where's your date?" said a student Krum had been talking to earlier. "I've brought mine!" the boy continued, holding up his date's hand as she giggled.

"Yeah… who is the lucky girl?" the girl said, fluttering her eyelashes at Krum. The boy however didn't seem to find this amusing as he led her away from Krum, a sour expression on is face. 

Krum laughed and then drained nother goblet of beer. 

_'That idiot does have a point though…'_ Krum thought, frowning_. 'Where is Hermioniny? She iz supposed to be vith mee…'_

Resolute, Krum made his way through the crowd to find his date.

*

Hermione read the letter again and then neatly folded it. The owl was still there, but it had gone to sleep, curled up on her desk. Hermione tucked the letter into her robes and sat down next to the owl with a sigh, being careful not to wake the sound asleep animal. 

She was confused.

Who in the world would send her an anonymous love letter? To her, Hermione Granger, the one everyone calls miss Know-it-All, the one who according to the enchanted mirror wasn't pretty, just cute in a bushy sort of way.

Self consciously, Hermione flattened her hair with her hand. 

_'Oh gosh!'_ Hermione thought, putting the letter into her journal. She chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. _'Somebody loves me? I told Ron others had noticed that I was a girl if he hadn't!' _Hermione scowled at remembering that Ron hadn't even considered taking her to the ball. '_But who could it be? The letter says that he's been watching me… so it has to be somebody I know, right? But who? Who?'_

Hermione sat silently for a moment or two.

Suddenly, somebody burst into the room. Right out the blue, another door at the back of the Gryffindor common room crashed open also.

Ron Weasley and Victor Krum glared at each other across the room and then at the same time stared at a bewildered Hermione.

**

_Hey hey hey! Chapter Three's done too! Yay! Now it's review time if u please! ^_^ And thanx fer reading! Next chapter coming soon!_

   [1]: mailto:shrinemistress@hotmail.com



	4. Chapter Four...

And It Finally Dawned Upon Them…

And It Finally Dawned Upon Them… 

** **

**_Disclaimer:_**_ JK Rowling owns everything I don't, but anything she doesn't own, is mine! :P_

_By Enchantress._

_[shrinemistress@hotmail.com][1]_

_ _

_ _

Chapter Four… 

** **

Nobody spoke for a moment.

The tension was so thick in the common room that one could cut it with knife.

"Hermioniny… vat are you doing there?" Krum said at last, breaking the silence. His gaze first traveled to Hermione and then back to Ron, who was panting.   
"I-I was tired…" Hermione said at last, not wanting to tell either of them that she had been looking for Ron. "So I came up here for a little while. I was going to go back right now, Victor." she added, looking uncertainly at Krum.   
He nodded. "Awright Hermioniny. Come, we shall leave together now." he shot Hermione a displeased look. "And what," Krum continued icily. "is he doing here?'   
Ron had recovered his breath and was now scowling at Krum.   
"I happen to be her friend," Ron said, looking Krum straight in the eye. "I was looking for her. Harry was worried where she had gone off to."   
The last thing Ron wanted to tell his new archenemy was that he was the one who had wanted to speak to Hermione alone. Hermione stared first at Ron and then back at Krum.

_'So, Ron had been looking for me, had he? I really find that hard to believe considering that we never met when I was practically running all over Hogwarts!' _thought Hermione defiantly.

"I believe you also have a date, Mr., umm, vat vas your name again?" retorted Krum coolly, looking Ron up and down. His eyebrows rose a trifle when his gaze locked on the scorched edges of Ron's robes.   
"Weasley." said Ron through clenched teeth, determined not to lose his temper. Even Ron could see that Krum was not only older than him, but was taller and more muscular too. It would be a height of stupidity to challenge him, wand or no wand.  
"Ah, yes. Mr. Veesle-ee!" said Krum. His tone of voice seemed to dare Ron to correct his pronunciation.  
Ron said nothing.  
Krum's eyes flashed at the younger boy before him and seemly to regard him like a parasite.  
"I so admire you looking for your 'friend' and leaving the ball and your date, who is probably at the verge of tears by now." he drawled caustically. "Tell me, is Hermioniny so important to you?"Krum continued and smirked, his voice clearly challenging Ron. "Still, I suggest that you pay more attention to your date and allow me to deal vith mine, eh?"

Ron couldn't take it any longer. He tried not to lose his cool but this was the last straw!

"Shut up Krum!" Ron blurted. "Hermione's your date, I know that! Go on with her! I just wanted to find out where she was! Don't you now start to think that we--" spat out Ron, his face flushed with the fury he was feeling.

"Quite." Krum interrupted him in a clipped tone, his face impassive. For him, this performance was unmistakably over. "Thank you for recognizing that fact, Mr. Veesley. Good night."

Hermione sat there on the desk, too flabbergasted to speak and when Krum held his hand out to her, she could only take it.In a dazed manner, Hermione walked away with Krum and never noticed the evil yet victorious smile Krum shot at Ron.   
Ron narrowed his eyes and then left the common room from the back door and made his way back to the Great Hall, his head held high.

*

"Oh, Harry! It was awful!" sobbed Cho, as she finished relating the incident in which Cedric had deserted her.  
Harry was quite shocked. How could any one be crazy enough to leave such a nice girl to dance with a Sytherin? It didn't make sense! 

But Harry knew that there were two things he could do. Either he could convince Cho to forgive Cedric and persuade her to give him a second chance, or he could sympathize with her fully and finally get his wish, to dance and spend time with her.  
Harry had a crush on Cho, hated her date and did feel sorry for her. Why should he persuade her to go back to her date? Did Cedric even care about the girl? 

Harry was, after all, not some pious do-gooder.  
Making up his mind, Harry patted Cho's hand clumsily and said gently: "Oh, don't worry about it Cho… you're too good for Cedric anyway, he really doesn't deserve you…"  
Cho smiled in response. She wiped away her tears with her sleeve and gave a little laugh. "No, Harry Potter! You're too good for me! I wish I had gone out with you instead of Cedric!" she paused and sniffed and Harry held his breath. "Hey! I don't want you to feel miserable for me! Cedric's a jerk but we shouldn't let it spoil our evening! I'll go up to the common room and you go find your date. I'm not that much in the mood of dancing anyway!"   
Seeing how determined she was not to ruin his ball by her troubles, Harry liked and admired Cho even more.  
"Cho," Harry said nervously, standing before her. "I'd really like it if you went back to the ball with me, you really haven't spoilt anything at all."  
Cho looked at Harry for a second and saw nothing but sincerity in his startlingly green eyes.  
"But what about your date? I don't want to come between you two…" Cho replied uncertainly.  
"Listen, I'll tell you what," answered Harry, a thought swiftly occurring to him. "I bet that my date hasn't even missed me and is dancing with… uhh… one of the Weasley twins by now. If she isn't and is waiting for me, then you win and you can leave. But, if she is… well, then I win and I get to dance with you!"   
"Harry, you just made me an offer I can't refuse!" Cho said, linking an arm through Harry's and then laughed as a scarlet blush spread over Harry's face.

*

Ginny was enjoying herself.  
Not that it had anything to do with her date, Neville Longbottom. The boy was a total klutz! Not only did he manage to step on her foot on the precise spot that hurt the most in every dance, he also refused to dance anywhere that was slightly away from the buffet table!   
Still, the least Ginny could say about him was that he was sweet and had a good sense of humor, even though he was lousy at cracking jokes.   
Ginny spent most of the evening either trying to distract Neville from food or calming him down whenever he saw Snape in his fifty mile radius. Also, her brothers, the infamous Weasley twins, were usually about (Ginny felt suspicious of that though. She had this horrible feeling in her gut that they were up to something) but still, they kept her in good spirits by their usual antics.  
But, by the start of the sixth song, Ginny felt a strange feeling. She felt as if something was pushing her away from Neville as they danced! Neville certainly didn't seem to notice anything amiss. He kept on dancing cheerfully, but Ginny knew something was wrong. When they finished the dance and drew apart to join in the usual applause after each song, Ginny felt as if the breath had been knocked out of her!

Fred and George came up at that moment and looking at Neville and Ginny, snickered.

"Hey Neville!" Fred cried in mock horror. "What have you been eating? You look huge!"

Sure enough, Neville seemed to be twice the size he was before and it seemed that his stomach seemed to continue to grow! 

"I knew it! Didn't I tell you, Neville, that something was wrong? I felt something pushing me! It was your stomach!" shrieked Ginny, her eyes as big as saucers as she stared at her date who was looking white as a sheet.

At this last piece of information, the twins started guffawing and clutched at their stomachs as they doubled over laughing.  
"it'ss nat phunnee!" Neville cried through his swollen checks. "Reversth it! Reversth it!" he blubbered.

"It was the pudding, wasn't it!" cried a desperate Ginny as a crowd formed to watch. "Fred! George! You better do something or I swear I'll make you pay like never before! You wait till I…" Ginny began but was cut off my Fred saying: "Look people! Watch and learn how to make your friend beach balls! It's so easy!"

At that, George magically created a flashing sign that bobbed over Neville's head saying: 'You can even choose the colors of the beach balls! Try it! Just for 14.99 galleons! It's magic!"

Ginny almost exploded with anger! It was her first ball and her aggravating brothers were trying their level best to ruin it!

"QUIT IT YOU TWO!" she shrieked.  
Seeing Ginny's red face and Snape coming towards them, the twins produced two identical long pins and before Neville could even whimper again, thrust them into him.

The crowd of onlookers gasped but soon saw that Neville wasn't hurt at all, but was slowly deflating! The twins also seemed to have to have disappeared as Snape came up to Ginny and Neville.   
Snape stared at Neville, who was more or less back to his original dumpy physique and scared the poor boy almost out of his wits by bestowing his worst scowl on him.

"What's going on?" he barked.  
"Nothing professor," replied Ginny meekly, even though she seriously wanted to report the twins. "Just having a bit of fun…" she replied but immediately knew she had said something wrong seeing Snape's expression grow grimmer.  
Snape's eyes flashed angrily and he snarled: "Well, Miss Weasley, if you would just step into my office afterwards, perhaps I can demonstrate what _I_ consider 'just having fun'! You Weasleys are all alike!" he proclaimed, quite unfairly."I seriously hope for your sake, Miss Weasley, that you do not follow in your brothers' foot steps or their marketing ideas!" and saying so, he cast another sickened look at the sniveling Neville and strode away.   
By now Neville was shaking all over and Ginny kindly said to him: "C'mon Neville, don't worry about that big bully! Let's get a bite to eat."   
Saying so, they made their way to the table, though Ginny was in pain because of Neville had unconsciously clasped her hand tightly.   
_"I suppose he's still petrified._' thought Ginny good-humouredly and gave a wry smile as she carefully extracted Neville's hand from her own. She picked up a goblet of water to hand it to her date, but before either of them could do anything, two faces peeped through the tablecloth and gave her a thumbs-up before running away from the scene of the crime.

*

Ron came into the hall and noticed that Hermione and Krum still had not arrived. It figured since the back door was closer to the Great Hall than the main entrance. He glanced around the huge room and saw his date still flirting with Malfoy. He rushed over to her and said: "Wanna dance?" and before Padma could reply, he had yanked her to the dance floor and started dancing.  
At that precise moment the song ended (Ron cursed his luck) and Padma spat out: "Ron Weasley! You had no right to do that! I was having fun! And no thanks to you!"

"Sorry Padma! Let me make it up to you, okay?" replied Ron, too drained to argue.   
Hearing this seemed too much for Padma's wishy-washy character.   
"Awright! Let's dance!" she chirped and didn't notice Ron rolling his eyes.

Just as Ron was getting ready for a fast song, the Weird Sisters started playing a slow and romantic ballad.  
_'Shit! I hate you weirdoes!'_ Ron thought and shot the group, which playing on the elevated platform in the center of the room, a dirty look. Ron cursed under his breath as Padma giggled in delight. The song seemed to be her favorite. 

"Shall we?" she said brightly.  
"Sure!" Ron said but thought instead: _'Do I have a choice?'_ and sighed. 

It was then that he noticed Harry was dancing with Cho Chang not far off. Ron grinned when he saw the contented expression on Harry's face. He obviously had gotten what he wanted! Other couples were also swaying to the peaceful music and almost everyone had their head on their partner's shoulder.   
Ron hoped Padma wouldn't get any ideas.  
As they drifted between the crowd, Ron actually started to relax. The calm melody and Padma's quietness was having its due effect. Ron actually started enjoying himself.

Then when he spotted Krum and Hermione through the thinning crowd and saw Krum bending over her and whispering something into her ear, it seemed as if somebody had thrown a bucket of cold water over his head. He jerked awake from his trance and gritted his teeth. 

*

Hermione now found herself dancing with Krum again.  
She sighed.  
_'If only Ron was here instead…'_ she wished but then hit by how bizarre her thought was, she comforted her inner self by thinking: _'As a friend I mean!'_   
But then, she told herself practically, Harry was also her friend… but did she want to dance with Harry? No! _  
'I think I've been reading too many romance novels!'_ she thought and smiled.

At that moment Krum looked at her dreamy expression and thought it was because of him. Like most people, he was pleased that somebody was enjoying his company. He didn't even seem to notice the searching looks Hermione gave the other couples, hoping to see Ron's familiar face. 

_'Maybe I should make this poor girl's dream come true!_' thought Krum as they danced on._ _

He put his arm around Hermione and pulled her even closer to him.  
Hermione looked at his arm and blinked.   
_'What the!' _she thought worriedly. She didn't know much about couple dancing, but she knew one thing: she definitely did not like being held so close to him.  
Hermione struggled against his hold but he evidently didn't notice her disgust as he gripped her more strongly.   
"Victor, I…" she began but was cut off as he leaned over, his breath tickling her ear, and whispered hoarsely: "Relax, Hermioniny… I do not bite."

Hermione felt as if she was doing some thing horrible.

*

_"I'll show her! It's not as if I can't live without her!'_ thought Ron, anger blazing inside him as he saw Krum flirting with Hermione so blatantly.   
Determined to show Hermione that he didn't care what she did and with whom, Ron also pulled Padma closer and said: 'Padma?"  
The girl looked into Ron's eyes and whispered:" Yes?"  
Ron swallowed.   
_'This is hard work!'_ the boy thought desperately.  
"Have I ever told you how beautiful your… uhh…" Ron racked his brain. "Your, your…"   
He was stuck! _"Say something you oaf!'_ he scolded himself.  
"Yes?…" Padma encouraged him.  
Ron took a deep breath.  
"Have I ever told you how beautiful your nostrils are?" he blurted out, saying the first thing that came to his mind.  
Padma underwent a sudden change. Her beaming face now turned a nasty shade of purple.  
"No, Ronald Weasley! You've never told me that my nostrils are attractive and I would've appreciated it if you never had!" she snapped. "Some romantic nothing that was!"

Ron turned red and mumbled an apology.   
_'Nostrils? Now, where'd that come from? But one thing's for sure,_' Ron thought miserably, noticing that Padma no longer looked at him as they danced_. 'this certainly wasn't supposed to happen! And Hermione didn't even see us!' _

Ron cursed his luck.

He noticed that he seemed to be doing that quite often lately.

**

_Sorry for lengthening the dance so much! I just wanted to tell everybody's thoughts in detail! Sorry! I promise the dance ends now! Honest! I'll do it in the next chapter! Please review this now… I don't mind criticism or flames but I do hate 'em! ^_^ No really, I need to know how this chapter was. I seriously have my doubts about it…_

   [1]: mailto:shrinemistress@hotmail.com



	5. Chapter Five...

And It Finally Dawned Upon Them… 

** **

**_Disclaimer:_**_ JK Rowling owns all the chara, but I own the plot! (Figures, huh?) _

_à__ And, I got this review saying that I didn't put in many descriptions, so I hope this chapter will have more details! Sorry for omitting any descriptions of scenery, but I was focusing on the characters more. Anyway, I think this is a bit different! Thanks for being patient with me! ^_^_

_By Enchantress._

_[shrinemistress@hotmail.com][1]_

_ _

Chapter Five… 

Harry smiled gleefully to himself.

He had had this feeling that his plan would work. And it had worked to perfection!

_'I guess I am a good judge of character!'_ he congratulated himself as he stole a glance at Fred Weasley and his date, Paravati, dancing together. They seemed to have eyes only for each other. Paravati was positively beaming and Fred looked in high spirits too.

_'I knew they'd wind up together!'_ Harry thought and then smiled at his own partner, Cho. Harry sighed in contentment. As the music played on, he continued to think. 

'I knew Paravati was the joke loving kind! She'd been gawking at Fred the whole evening anyway! I bet she really likes him. And Fred seems to look more somber than usual too! Maybe Ron will get to take his revenge after all!' Harry chuckled silently to himself. 'Anyway, it was great that I remembered Pavarati's nature at all with Cho around! Heh, I'm a genius!'Harry thought, ignoring modesty completely.

"Harry, isn't your date having fun with Fred?" said Cho, interrupting his thoughts. "Fred and George are very good company!" Harry looked at her glowing face and smirked. "Yeah! If you don't mind getting hexed every two seconds!" he said pleasantly and Cho giggled. 

"I know what you mean! Their poor brothers!" she laughed. "Once I had to put up with the brunt of their tricks too!" 

"Uh huh" Harry agreed. "They're awful aren't they?" 

"Sure are!" Cho nodded and smiled at Harry. "Thanks Harry…" she continued, her tone softening. "I really appreciate you trying to put me in a good mood. I really do." 

Harry felt a tad uncomfortable. He wasn't the comforting sort of person. He barely knew anything about tenderness, what with the Dursleys around. But obviously, everyone knows something -anything- about reassuring someone. So Harry tried to do his best.

"Forget it, Cho. Don't even mention it, okay?" Harry started and looked down at her. Her expression seemed to boost his confidence and he perked up. " Besides, between you and me, I'm doing it for purely selfish intentions at heart! I'd do anything to get you to spend time with me!" Harry finished but was a bit startled at his own words.   
'Did I just say that?' he thought with rising panic. But Cho was simply amused and laughed even more. Harry gave her what he hoped was a manly smile and they danced on.

"Hmmm…" sighed Cho contentedly, leaning slightly on Harry shoulder. Harry felt as if all his nerves were on red alert. He could almost sense every move she made! He was slightly stiff at first but then he loosened up. He even ventured far enough to put his arms around the girl. He was definitely enjoying himself.

Then, as Cho dreamily told him about her first date with Cedric, (which slightly ruffled Harry who didn't want to speak about the other boy at all) the song ended.

A burst of applause sounded and Harry and Cho enthusiastically cheered too. As far as Harry could see, people of all different heights and colors stood in the Great Hall. The clapping was deafening and Harry noticed that George had secretly let one of his firecrackers alight. 

The dance was at an end!

And Harry knew he would never forget that wonderful dance with Cho Chang for the rest of his life.

*

"Ow!" Ron cried as Padma stamped on his poor foot violently with the heel of her shoe.

"Sorry." she said in a distracted fashion and continued to stare ahead.

"No you are not!" said Ron angrily. "At least try to look sorry!" 

"Shut up Ron. I don't have time for this, ok? I'm just dancing with you because everybody else is taken. Besides, this is the last dance thankfully." Padma replied, looking at Ron straight in eye for the first time after about half an hour of dancing with him.  
Ron didn't know what to say. He wondered whether he was allowed to punch a girl… but he dismissed the thought as a furious face of Mrs. Weasley came to him. Nope, hitting Padma wasn't the answer. Ron wondered if all girls were this irritating.

_'I reckon they're not._'Ron thought, imagining Hermione_. 'She was always normal with Harry and me. She never acts funny. I bet she won't have even minded if I told her that her nose was nice. I guess I've got to ignore Padma right now.' _Ron thought and sighed. This was going to be difficult. Padma seemed to go out of her way to vex him. He supposed she was still cross because he had dragged her away from Draco. 

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" said Padma, making a face. "You always answer back." she said and stared at him dully.

"Forget it, ok?" Ron said and looked away. He tried pushing her even further away from him. Already he had to stretch his arms to hold her because of the distance he had put between them.  
"Ron, how about you now start building a bridge between you and me and I'll help!" snapped Padma. "I don't like you, you don't like me, but I want to finish this dance in the NORMAL way, get me?" she spat out.

"Yeah, yeah." Ron muttered and brought her one-quarter of a centimeter closer.

"Aargh!" Padma exploded and then became quiet. Evidently she had had totally given up on him. 

Then they heard the music come to a halt and both of them jumped backwards, wanting to land twenty feet away from one another.

The dance was at an end!

Ron knew he would never forget this horrendous evening even if he tried. 

*

"Ah, I this nat fun?"' drawled Krum in Hermione's ear.

"Um, yeah. Great." Hermione replied and tried to pull a little away from him.   
She had been trying to do that since the last two dances. If she did manage to put any distance between them, Krum would again close in on her and all her attempts would result in nothing. At last, exasperated, she decided on being blunt with him. There was no other way. The guy didn't understand any of her subtle hints!

"Victor, please move a little away. You're kinda choking me." She said and immediately he straightened up. He looked away, trying not to look abashed, but she had this feeling that he was dismayed at this.  
Hermione had thought a lot about the incident in the common room throughout the dances. 

Had Ron been looking for her? If he had, then why? Harry certainly had not been worried! She had seen him dancing with a fifth year girl, Cho Chang (this had surprised her, but the fact that his date was dancing with Fred Weasley was even more unexpected!) but Harry hadn't seen her or paid her any attention. But Hermione did know one thing and that was that Ron was nice enough to look for her and notice her absence and Krum had been rude to him. She wondered why she hadn't spoken up then. She supposed it was because she was too stunned to do anything. Since then, she had been slightly cold towards Krum. 

Making up her mind. Hermione looked at her date grimly.

"Victor, did you have to be that rude with Ron? He is my best friend!" she said.

"Excuse me Hermioniny, but I believe it vas your friend who vas rude to me. He did nat have to come find you! He knows that you are here vith me. I must say, though I hate to say it to you, but I find him annoying and suspicious."

Hermione was bowled over with this speech.

"S-suspicious? Of RON? What do you mean?" she said, her mouth gaping slightly.

"Forget it. I do nat vish to talk about Mr. Veesle-ee at all." He said and clamped his mouth.

"Weasley." Hermione muttered.

"Vatever." He replied.

She danced in stony silence for a few minutes and then Krum sighed.

"I am terribly sorry, Hermioniny. I acted like a pig. I apologize again. I should nat have spoken like that about your friend. I just vant this evening to be perfect, eh? But I cannot like your friend and that iz the truth. I will keep it to myself." he said, never looking at her. 

Hermione felt a bit guilty. She had misjudged Victor. He wasn't a bad sort. He was truthful and considerate… but he still didn't like Ron. 

"Every body has their own tastes huh?" Hermione said at last. Her date looked at her hopefully. "I'm sorry too, for leaving and everything. Just don't be rude to Ron again, awright?" she finished and gave a small smile.

"I promise!" Victor said and gave her a beaming smile that lit up his whole face. 

Krum wasn't handsome. His jaw was too angular for that. But he was good looking, in a rugged sort of way. His hooked nose also gave him a devilish appearance. But as Hermione noticed, his smile was really charismatic.   
Hermione smiled in response. They danced on, now more comfortably because he neither held her too close nor too far. They both matched each other's steps perfectly and they glided effortlessly through the crowd. 

Then, the music slowed down, the couples around them came to a stand still. Victor kept gently dancing though and Hermione laughed. She bet they were the only ones dancing. Then he stopped, bent down on his knee and lifted Hermione's hand. He very gently kissed it, as if it was made of fine porcelain and then smiled at her. He drew up beside her once again and put his arm on her shoulder tenderly. They clapped with the rest of the crowd but Hermione's thoughts were only on him. She had been so touched by his actions that she was speechless. No one had ever -in her whole life- treated her so caringly. She felt as if she was on cloud nine. 

For Hermione, the dance had had an almost perfect end. 

She knew that this evening would forever be etched in her memory…

*

If the Great Hall had been looking awesome before, now it was looking absolutely breathtaking. Throughout the dance, people had been concentrating on their partners more (heheheh) than their surroundings, but now that the dance was at an end, they noticed what measures had been taken to make the hall look presentable. 

The huge slabs of creamy white marble that made up the floor was shining like a mirror and the stars that could be seen through the enchanted ceiling were reflected on it, making everybody feel as if they were standing on the sky itself! Peeves, the aggravating poltergeist, had been sent to the opposite wing of Hogwarts by the Bloody Baron to make sure that nothing would go wrong. 

Pedestals of a transparent silvery substance were lined against the walls with huge flowers in them. Their presence not only made the hall's appearance beautiful, but also was democratic! That was because the flowers were specially chosen to represent the three schools participating in the Triwizard Tournament. 

Some were the wild blossoms that grew in the Forbidden Forest, with velvety red-black petals, obviously representing Hogwarts. Others were Bulgarian Pansies, deep blue in color, with pale green leaves. Then came the delicate blossoms of red, with a white pollen looking like a pearl at its center, that must have represented Madam Maxine's school. 

Suddenly, as everybody stopped clapping, a huge bang was heard. 

People looked around in astonishment, but Dumbeldore merely smiled. Then, right out he blue, millions of tiny things, looking like confetti to all the muggle born students present, erupted from the ceiling and gently started to float downwards. 

There were gasps and oohs and aahs from the students as they realized that the tiny fluttering things were none other than fairies! They were flying everywhere by now, their tiny wings glittering silver and each of them producing a warm glow of the color they were wearing. 

Pastel colors, shades of red and blue, and all other colors imaginable could now be seen zooming about the place. Then, in front of their eyes, the fairies started a kind of dance. Each one zoomed about and then came to a halt and waited for the others to follow. 

Soon, everybody realized that they weren't dancing, but were writing some sort of message. The clusters of fairies started to flock together. Their idea it seemed was to make a kind of sign by making pairs of fairies depending on the colors they wore. The shades of purple, red, forest green etc all lined up. After about two minutes of zigzagging, everybody read the following letters made by glittering fairies:

G'bye worthy students! For the 203rd Yule Ball is now at an end!

**

How was that? The ball has ended at last! Boy, am I drained or what! :P But now to see the consequences of this ball! Muhahahahahaha! Anyway, till the next chapter! Ps: I don't have to remind you to review this do I? Please? ^_^

   [1]: mailto:shrinemistress@hotmail.com



	6. Chapter Six...

And It Finally Dawned Upon Them…

And It Finally Dawned Upon Them… 

** **

**_Disclaimer:_**_ JK Rowling owns all the Harry Potter characters (sniff) but the story's mine! Muhahaha! But of course, the 'extras' that you don't recognize are mine too! _

**_ _**

**_~ And in this chapter Hermione is narrating! ~_**

_ _

_By Enchantress._

_[shrinemistress@hotmail.com][1]_

_ _

Chapter Six… 

I stretched lazily in my four-poster bed and yawned sleepily. 

The dance the night before had been so hectic! I had finally hit the sack at about three in the morning or something. And now I had to get up at six thirty! Just three and a half hours of sleep!   
I fell out of bed and groggily took a few steps and then banged my foot straight into my bed. 

"YOUCH!" I screamed, but I managed to muffle the sound by grabbing my sock and cramming it down my throat. Thankfully, my youch became more of an "awfh" and only Elise gave a little snort, turned over and fell asleep again.

Cursing under my breath, I pulled my hair out of my eyes and tried to make my way over to the bathroom. All over the dormitory the remains of the dance were strewn about. 

Robes of all colors, ribbons, discarded hair accessories, books on charming teeth, weight-reducing potions, all kinds of bizarre possessions were scattered about the floor. At last I reached my destination; having stubbed my toe twice on a hairbrush and woken up one of the dozing enchanted mirrors. 

Now I looked over to the mirror and it seemed to stick its tongue out at me.

I scowled at it grumpily and opened the bathroom door. The stone floor was like ice to my poor warm feet! I yelped and jumped onto the marble counter and sat there for a minute, panting. I gently slid off it at last and made my feet accustom to the chilliness of the bathroom. The morning had been quite frosty already without me getting chilled to the bone!I dragged the fuzzy, rumpled bearskin mat from the corner it lay in and spread it out on the floor. 

"Ahhh…" I sighed as I wiggled my toes in its chocolate-brown wooliness. 

I brushed my teeth and then took a quick, hot shower. 

Nobody else seemed to be up yet. Lessons started at about nine o'clock, but I was always an early riser, even if I slept at any unholy hour of the night. On the other hand, the rest of the girls seemed to want to get up at eight forty-five or something and miss breakfast by the looks of it. 

I brushed my hair vigorously, which had almost returned to its normal bushy state. Only this time, I took more care about my appearance. I even put on a light pink lip-gloss I had never used before. Don't look at me that way as if you know why I'm doing that! It's no secret. I just want to, you know, look nice for the heck of it! No ulterior motive… honest. 

Anyway, I then stepped out of the bathroom and glanced at the horribly messy dormitory. Picking up my wand from my bed stool, I flourished it about dramatically and chanted under my breath. Soon, the room was spotless. Even Mary Poppins couldn't have done it this fast! 

I smiled and went over to the dormitory door. 

I opened it, and looking at what was outside, my eyes grew wide.

*

Awright, I should have been straight to the point.

It was unfair of me to put that little star there. I wanted you to feel a little suspense, that's all. 

Anyway, outside the dormitory door, I found six envelops. No, stupid, not just envelops! Letters too, and all six of them had my name printed on them. 

There they were, all six, neat, little envelops, staring at me from the floor.

Looking at them, I suddenly got hit by a feeling of déjà vu. 

A look of apprehension must have crossed my face when I picked them up and stealthily walked into the dormitory, shut the door and rushed into the bathroom once again.

Just as I had suspected. The letters were like the one I received yesterday. Each one about six lines long. With "Your real Admirer" typed neatly at the end of each one. 

Don't look at me with that longing look in your eyes. I am not going to read them to you. They're personal. I'm serious. Well, I wonder who could have possibly sent them… it's obviously not Ron. 

Am I disappointed that it's not him, you ask? 

Well, honesty speaking, yes, I am disappointed. But Ron hasn't been in my 'like list' since he didn't ask me to the ball. Yeah, I was hoping he would ask me. Sigh. Well, no use sitting and brooding about it. Ron's history. He doesn't come into all this, right? Obviously someone likes me… no I won't say 'love'!And I do have Victor… maybe it's…

Eesh!What am I still doing here in the bathroom with all these letters before me? I have to leave. No, that's not a smug expression on my face! Well, maybe it is, but that's beside the point.

I left the bathroom and hid the letters under my bed, where their predecessor lay. 

*

"Hey, Herm." I heard Harry calling as he sat down next to me. 

All morning I had spent in the library, looking up the name of the flowers Victor had given me.They were called "Schlbvuck". Personally, I preferred calling them flowers rather than whatever they were called. The name was really quite unpronounceable.

Now I was sitting in The Great Hall, with a few other students munching on toasts on their respective tables. I was spreading some butter on freshly baked bread also. 

I glanced at Harry. He looked tired, but kind of contented. And very distracted too.

"Hi," I said in response and looked over him. Ron was sitting next to Harry, but he hadn't said a word yet. I didn't want to say anything to him either. I didn't have anything to say! I was still a bit sore at him for not asking me out. So, I held a grudge. Big deal, I bet lots of people do that! 

We sat in silence which was very strange for me. We had always talked at mealtimes! About Quiditch, Draco's jerkiness, Pidgewidgen, Snape… the usual topics. 

But today… nothing. 

I munched my breakfast, Harry did the same (though he kept looking over my head every two seconds… very weird) and Ron kept to himself. For the first time in four years, I felt uncomfortable being with them! No conversation meant something was definitely wrong. Taking courage into my hands, I spoke up. 

"So, Ron…" I said, looking at him directly for the first time since last night in the common room. "How was your dance?"I asked conversationally. 

Uh oh. Wrong move. Ron looks worse!

"Great. How's dear ol' Vicky?" he snarled, looking mad.

"Vicky?" I wrinkled my nose. What was he talking about? "Oh, you mean Victor! Geez, Ron, I'm sorry about last night but you don't have to be rude! He was just a little pissed off at you---" I defended Victor, but I stopped at Harry leapt up suddenly, scraping his chair awfully on the floor and ran out of the hall.

Ron and I both looked at his retreating back in puzzlement. 

What was going on here? Were my two friends losing their marbles? 

At that moment the bell rang and I thankfully stood up. Ron scowled at me and deliberately walked as far away from me as possible to our classroom. 

Now I was mad. 

Why was he acting like such a big jerk? Was he still mad because Victor had been my date? What did he expect, that I would not go to the ball at all because he didn't ask me?? He was acting like such a stupid crybaby! He didn't ask me himself! He never even noticed that I was an available girl! 

Now, that hurt.

Fuming with anger and hating Ron more than ever, I sat down on my seat. Harry came fumbling in a few minutes later and sat down next to me. Then Ron showed up and took a seat next to Harry. Good, I didn't want him to sit next to me either!

It was a Transfiguration class but Professor McGonagal hadn't showed up yet. I had studied for this class in advance anyway, so I didn't worry.

On the other hand, the Gryffindors had this class with the Slytherins, and that was always a pain.

Draco passed our table and made one of his sleazy remarks to Ron who responded hotly. I didn't pay them much attention; I didn't want to defend Ron at all! It was mean, I know, but after all, I was mad at him! But surprisingly, Harry didn't say anything either! He kept staring blankly in front, a dreamy look plastered on his face!

Even Draco was a bit surprised at our lack of response. He then looked at me and I looked back, my face impassive. He opened his mouth to speak, blinked, looked at me again and shut his mouth. Muttering to himself with Crabbe and Goyle at his heels, he left! I was stunned.

Even at the ball, I had noticed Pansy and Draco eyeing me suspiciously. Pansy had been looking thunderstruck (at my appearance no doubt!) and Draco had been looking at me very strangely… I don't know what exactly it was. I should have gotten my teeth straightened years ago! 

Now the professor entered the room. She told us the page number of the exercise we were supposed to do. I heard Ron groan at this. He hated doing work in theory, though he wasn't any good at practicals either! 

I opened my desk to get my book out and saw a beautiful bouquet of peach and white roses instead! Amazed, I took out the flowers carefully so that McGonagal couldn't see it. A small card was attached to it. I turned it over and read these words engraved in gold: 

_"To my love, Hermione… Forever yours…"_

At that moment Harry looked up from his work. He stared first at me, and then the flowers. Evidently this had finally woken him up from the trance he had been in all morning.

"Hermione!" he whispered. "What the heck's that?" 

"They're flowers, Harry. Haven't you seen flowers before?" I said nonchalantly and was about to put them into my backpack when Ron saw us. 

"Oy, what's that?" he whispered, his eyes growing wide.

I grew irritable now. Couldn't I get some flowers without everybody asking about them?

"It 's a bouquet of flowers for me, you two! Get it? Now leave me alone!" I snapped at them, forgetting to lower my voice. 

"Perhaps you should sit with Ms. Skipper now, Ms. Granger, since I find your talking is disturbing my class!" Professor McGonagal scolded me.

Mumbling an apology, I picked up my things. I had never been sent away from my seat before! Grinding my teeth, I changed seats and sat next to a Slytherin girl, happy to be away from Harry and Ron. 

I knew that this was going to be a long day…

*

It was seven thirty at night and I was curled up in a comfy sofa near the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room, reading a book on Bulgaria, when it happened.

Harry, together with the rest of the team, was out for Quiditch practice and most of the girls were taking extra classes with Professor Flitwick. That left me and two other girls in the room alone. 

Soon they also left, probably for a snowball fight outside. That just left me in the huge room by myself. I was glad at this though since now I could read in peace.

Suddenly, the door opened and in stepped Ron. 

He looked at me uncertainly. Obviously he was considering either staying in the room or leaving. I didn't even look up at him. What did I care whether he stayed or not?

He must have decided to stay as he pulled up a chair and started flipping through a magazine carelessly. 

I still ignored him and kept on reading, my nose buried in the book. 

"So, where's Krum?" he said, not looking up from the magazine. 

"He said he had to stay with Karakroff and the others at the ship. They also have to attend school everyday y'know." I said, my voice slightly muffled since I still had the book in front of me. 

"Poor you! Have to spend a whole day without him!" Ron said sarcastically, quite unlike him, his face getting redder by the minute. 

I looked up at him, frowning.

"What's your problem, Ron?" I said to him angrily. "Why do you insist on hating Victor so much?!" 

"Ooh Victor is it?" he drawled, getting up from his seat. 

"Oh shut up!" I said, raising my voice. 

"No, Hermione! What's your problem? Huh? Can't see you so he sent those flowers instead? Who does he think he is?" Ron retorted furiously. 

"HE DIDN"T SEND THOSE FLOWERS!" I shrieked, putting my hands on my ears, quite forgetting the decision I had made to keep my admirer a secret. 

"Huh?" said Ron staring at me, his fists clenched. "Then who did?"

"I-I" I stuttered and stood up. "I'm leaving." 

I made for the door but Ron grabbed my arm. 

"Who?" he whispered hoarsely. His eyes were now slits and his fiery hair scatted about his head. 

Ron actually scared me a bit then… he was like I had never seen him before… True, I had seen him angry many times before, but now he was… enraged.

"I--I don't know." I confessed. He loosened his hold but didn't let go. 

"What do you mean?" he asked and shoved me towards my chair. I narrowed my eyes and took a deep breath. 

"I don't need to tell you." I said. 

"I think you do." he said, glowering at me. 

"Why?" I shot back at him. 

He stood regarding me for a moment. 

"Because I thought I was your friend." he said at last. He then picked up his coat, opened the door and left. 

I stared at the door. 

Then, with shaky fingers I adjusted the magazines and straightened the chairs. 

I walked over to the girls' empty dormitory and looked at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. 

My hair as loose and it fell around my shoulders. My face was pale and my brown eyes were looking large and scared. 

It was then that I broke down completely. 

Nobody saw me cry. 

**

_I'm depressed myself. ;_; Long live Ron n Herm? Eeps… review please?_

   [1]: mailto:shrinemistress@hotmail.com



	7. Chapter Seven...

And It Finally Dawned Upon Them…

And It Finally Dawned Upon Them… 

** **

**_Disclaimer:_**_ JK Rowling owns all the original Harry Potter characters but the story's mine!_

**_ _**

_~ Enchantress! ^^_

_[shrinemistress@hotmail.com][1]_

_ _

Chapter Seven… 

"Hey, Cho! Wait up!" Harry panted as he raced up the flight of stairs to get to the girl.

"Hi, Harry," Cho replied, flashing him a smile. "What's up?" 

"Nothing much, just wanted to walk you to class… we have this one together, right?" Harry asked, a bit anxiously. He shifted weight from one foot to another. No matter how much they talked, Harry always felt a bit awkward with Cho. She was so pretty that whenever he tried to talk to her, his words got stuck somewhere in his throat! It was very annoying.

"Sure do," she answered silkily and linked her arm with his. "Let's go."

Harry felt his face grow hot, but thankfully Cho didn't notice. Harry was really starting to like her. She was so natural, so totally at ease. She could talk to anyone without feeling nervous as he always did when he entered into conversation with someone new!

All day Harry pictured himself spending time with her. Taking her to Hogsmede, drinking butterbeers and walking by the lake… he noticed that now he usually lapsed into daydreams about her! He bet even Ron and Hermione had noted this. When he had seen her outside the hall at breakfast, he had practically run to meet her! Ron had asked him about it, but Harry had just brushed him off, it was a bit embarrassing to tell!

Still, Harry wondered whether Cho liked him as much as he did. Cedric and Cho had broken up directly after the ball and boy, had there been a row! According to Cedric, he had been enchanted by Pansy to go with her! As if! Pansy barely knew how to control herself let alone have power over someone else! Still, the outcome was that Cho was free of Cedric and available for Harry. What a bit of luck for him!

They walked down to class and the usual lessons began. Harry had nothing on his mind except Cho. 

*

"Oh lord! Hermione, you are soo lucky!" gushed Ginny as she clutched excitedly at the letter she was holding. Poring over it, she exclaimed again as she came to another vow of undying love. 

"Relax, Ginny…" replied Hermione, blushing. 

The previous night Hermione had been miserable after the fight with Ron. She had cried her eyes out for an hour or so, but had finally pulled herself together. If Ron was going to behave like that, let him! She as just going to ignore him. 

It was then that she decided that she couldn't remain bottled up and had finally spilled the beans that night to Ginny Weasley. Only, Hermione just told her about the letters… nothing about Ron or Victor Krum. 

Ginny had been an eager listener, but she had been so excited by the prospect of a secret admirer that she had forced Hermione to show her everything as soon as possible.

Now the two girls were sitting on the dormitory floor with letters and parcels addressed to Hermione scattered about them. The door was locked so that no one could enter and penetrate their secret. 

"I wish I had an secret admirer…" sighed Ginny dreamily as she folded the letter back into its envelope. "It would be so _romantic_…" she added and glanced at the window.

The two girls could see a clear corn-blue sky outside and the branches of a blossom tree were tapping gently on their windowpane. The tree's pale peony petals were gently floating in the wind and snow was falling wispily. The scene seemed to mirror Ginny's poetic feelings exactly!

When the letters had arrived, they had flattered Hermione, but Ginny had been completely bowled over after reading them! 

Hermione knew that Ginny wanted to be happy for her, but was also feeling a mixture of awe, jealousy, longing! Hermione was a bit pleased at the attention she was getting, but she kept a straight face in front of Ginny so that she wouldn't think that she was acting superior. After all, Hermione had never _asked_ for a secret admirer!

"So, who is it?" asked Ginny at last, her eyes twinkling animatedly. 

Hermione laughed. "Would you stop it? How the heck am I s'possed to know! You're missing the whole concept of the 'secret' part!"

Ginny grinned at her friend and replied: "Well, I bet its Douglas Munster! Remember the time when he bumped into you? I bet that's the time when he first saw you, and it was love at fist sight and then he…" 

Hermione threw a pillow at her friend.

*

Ron was fuming. 

After last night, he had decided that although he truly did love Hermione, she was too pigheaded to notice anything other than her darling Victor! 

He had been certain that it was Krum who sent her the flowers, but now he wasn't so sure… Why would Hermione say that he didn't send them if he did? Wouldn't she want to rub it in and show him that it could have been him at her side instead of Krum if he had asked her out? 

Ron was lying in his bed, sorting things out with Harry snoring on the bed beside his own. Throughout the day he had ignored Hermione and had been distant and cool whenever they came face to face. The gloomy thing was that she didn't seem to want to apologize for last night either! 

And if Ron didn't have enough on his mind, there was Harry. He was acting strange too! He kept staring into space and was unnaturally quiet. Ron guessed it must be because of that girl, Cho Chang. He had seen Harry with her once or twice and Harry seemed very infatuated with her.

"Girls… nothing but trouble…" grunted Ron as he shifted in his bed. Then the face of a laughing Hermione came into his mind and he paused.He cared so much for her… and she didn't. 

Getting half angry, half wistful again, Ron suddenly got a sneaky idea. 

What if he went over to her dorm and see for himself who had sent her the flowers? He had seen a card attached… surely he could find the flowers… he knew Hermione had them in her bag. 

He got up, shrugged on his dressing gown and tiptoed out of the boys' dormitory and went over to the girls'. He paused. He hated to go into the girls' dorm! No respectable guy would have liked to be caught dead in it! Then, thinking of the flowers and Krum, Ron made up his mind.

He cautiously turned the knob and stepped inside. It was dark in the room and everyone seemed to be fast asleep. He stood there for a second, till his eyes got used to the dark. Then, he stealthily crept around the room, looking at each of the slumbering girls, trying to catch sight of Hermione. He first spotted his sister, because even in the darkness, he could see the bright flash of her flaming red hair!

Just as he had thought, Hermione's four-poster was right next to his sister's. He tiptoed over to her and drew a bit of the curtains of her bed. She looked so peaceful, so serene, that Ron physically felt a stab of pain. Why wasn't she like this with him? 

Sighing, he started looking around for her backpack. Sure enough, it was at the foot of her bed. He bent down to get it, but saw a flash of something white under her bed. Ron frowned in puzzlement and reached out for it.

It was a letter.

He opened it and stared at the tiny writing on it.

He looked intently at it, but couldn't read the writing since it was too dark in the room and he had not brought his wand along. Thankfully, there was a window next to Hermione's bed and the full moon's light was filtering into the room. Ron held the letter directly under the moonbeam and read the letter.

As his eyes roamed over its contents, Ron made a choking sound, something between a growl and a yelp. 

First, he couldn't believe it. He read it again, and again. Each time, his face getting redder. He was so moved by the letter, he just stood there, frozen. 

He thought of Krum as a rival, an enemy, but who the hell was this? Another person who loved Hermione?! It didn't seem possible!

Ron was so numbed by his discovery that he didn't notice that someone had stirred because of his exclamation. 

"You!" she choked out as she saw Ron by the window, clad in his dressing gown, _in the girls' dorm!_

It was Hermione.

She stared at Ron, not believing her eyes, till her gaze fell on what Ron was holding. 

Her mouth hung open and she goggled at the boy. 

"Herm…" Ron whispered, taking a step towards her. "What- is- _this?_" he hissed and shoved the letter towards her. 

Hermione grabbed the letter, her eyes glazed over with the intensity of her fury and wide in anger and disbelief. He noticed how her hair was tumbling down, her mouth set in a in a furious grimace. 

"I'll tell you what, you…_you_…" she hissed, her voice low, trying to find an insult to suite him. "Y'know, I can't even think of something that's lower than you are! _How could you?_?" she wrung out her words. "You came here to look through my stuff? My _PERSONAL_ stuff? And then have the gall to ask me what _this_ is?" she waved the letter in front of Ron's face. 

Ron silently frowned down at her.

"Well, _Ron_, " she grimaced as she said his name. "It's a letter. _From someone who loves me!_ Did you hear that? Love! And I-I hate you, Ronald Weasley!"

Ron paused and then left without another word. 

**

_Author's note:_ _Hmmm… don't worry folks! I have everything under control! This story ***does*** have a plot! I know exactly what I'm doing! :P and I would like to make a request, if I make a chara wear something or have something they don't really have or wore, please, please excuse it! Trust me, it doesn't matter whether Hermione's blond or a brunette! It's the story that counts, riiight? I appreciate you guys picking out my mistakes, but could you not do it about teensy matters like that? ^_^ Sorry if I seem like a jerk to you^^, but I wanted Cho to be blond! But don't worry (sigh) I'll change it! Thanks for being patient with me! I know how tough that is!! See ya!_

~Enchantress!^^

   [1]: mailto:shrinemistress@hotmail.com



	8. Chapter Eight...

And It Finally Dawned Upon Them…

And It Finally Dawned Up on Them… 

** **

**_Disclaimer:_**_ JK Rowling owns all the original Harry Potter characters but the story and Raymond are mine!_

**_ _**

_~ Enchantress! ^^_

_[shrinemistress@hotmail.com][1]_

_ _

Chapter Eight… 

"_WHAT!_" exclaimed Harry. This news certainly seemed to wake him up from his daydreams. "How? I mean, when? Why? _Why_?" he managed to say.

"I told you, " replied Hermione crisply as they walked together. "Ron and I'm, well, through. We're not -- friends. You don't have to take any sides, Harry." she said and put a hand on his shoulder as she stopped to look out a window. Hermione knew this was going to be difficult. How could you explain ending a friendship, which lasted for almost four years, without a reason?

Hermione's throat seems to contract as she said: " Harry, this is my decision. I'm sure Ron agrees with it. I want you to still be my friend, but…" she squeezed his shoulder. "…stay with Ron more, ok? I have the other girls and Ginny, but Ron, well, you're his best friend." Hermione paused. She knew she would have to get away from Harry quickly if she did not want to answer any of his questions. "See ya." she added and briskly walked away, heading for the Great Hall. 

Harry looked at her retreating back in amazement. What was happening? Why was their group falling apart? Was it his fault? While he was having a great time with Cho what happened that made his two greatest friends just end their friendship? 

At that moment Ron came up, looking lethargic and with huge circles under his eyes. 

"Ron! What's going on? What's happened? Why has Hermione stopped being your friend? _What happened_?!?"Harry asked desperately. He felt so horribly hopeless! He didn't know how to express the confusion he was feeling!

"Oh, she told you already, huh? No reason, right?" said Ron, scratching his head absently and yawning. "Well, nothing happened, Harry. It's just that. Let's go. And," he continued as he saw Harry opening his mouth again. "NO questions."

Leaving Harry behind, the other boy left to get breakfast. 

*

"Hey, Cho," Harry said to the girl as he saw her pass in the corridor. "I have something to tell you…" 

After the breakup between his best friends, Harry had been so crushed that he sought refuge in Cho. He had none else to tell his troubles to and she seemed to be the best person to talk to. Harry knew she would listen. He had grown so fond of her and she seemed to want to spend time with him too. 

But this time, when she saw Harry, she did not seem pleased. 

"Can we talk right now? Let's go for a walk," said Harry as he caught up with her.

She had her books clutched in her hands so tightly that her knuckles had gone white and was walking hastily. "I don't think so, Harry," she replied.

Harry frowned. "But why? It's kinda important… can we go to the library then?"

"No, Harry, I'm sorry." she stopped and faced him. 

At that moment, Cedric's face appeared through one of the doorways. 

"Hey, you, Potter!" he called coming over to them and putting his arm around Cho possessively. "Get lost, huh? I've seen you mucking about Cho; you've had your bit of fun, haven't you? Now clear off!" he spat out.

Harry was dumbfounded.

Cho just stood there, wring her hands nervously and didn't even seem to mind Cedric's arm at all!

"I think I'd better explain…" Cho said timidly to Harry and then turned and whispered something to Cedric. He seemed reluctant at first, then made a face at Harry and unwillingly left. 

Harry crossed his arms. "Yes, I think you had better."

"Well, Harry, I'm very grateful to you." began Cho, inspecting her fingernails that suddenly seemed to interest her. "You gave me company and were my friend, thanks. But well, Cedric and I—well, we made up. Look!" she exclaimed and held out her hand. She was wearing a ring, a neat silver one with a single ice-blue stone at its center. "He said it matches my eyes! Does it really?" she cooed. 

Harry stared coolly at her.

"Ahem, well," she said, clearing her throat and putting her hands behind her back. "It's a friendship ring… it's very pretty…"

"Pretty things aren't always nice." said Harry simply. 

Cho understood his meaning and smiled weakly at him. Without thinking, she rashly replied: "Oh Harry! I didn't know you really liked me! I just thought you were going on with the game…"

"What game?" said Harry sharply.

"I mean-uh, well," Cho said uneasily. "Y'know I wanted to make Cedric jealous so I just…" she said, lowering her voice. 

"You mean you used me to get to Cedric and then get the ring."

"The ring was his idea!" she defended herself.

"What about Pansy?"

Cho grimaced. "She confessed. It was a potion she found in a book that makes a person do what they're told for three seconds… she slipped it into Cedric's butterbeer… that girl is such a—"

"Good bye, Cho," interrupted Harry and gave her a bitter smile. "Thank you, you taught me something too."

Harry walked away.

*

"So then I said 'Muzzer! That iz plain ugly!' Now if it was mai' choice…" Victor continued animatedly.

Krum and Hermione were sitting in the far corner of the library and he was as usual talking about topics that interested Hermione as much as watching grass die. 

She politely inclined her head towards him, not hearing a word of his tedious speeches. But she wasn't reading her book either. Her mind was wondering about other things… Ron. That was it then. They were through. She hadn't spoken to him for over a week since the night he had read the letter. She still couldn't believe that he could do such a thing. Search her belongings… that was such a horrible, horrible thing to do. For the first few days the only words that rung in her head were _'How could he? How could he??' _

Now all her days were focused on homework. She had read up on all the topics they had covered in class and ahead as well and all her homework was so thoroughly researched that even the teachers had trouble understanding her complicated terms! Other than schoolwork, there was Victor. They met everyday in the library when both of them were free of classes. Hermione tried to avoid Ron and had decided on spending all her time with Krum. The reasons were that: one: he would keep her mind off her troubles and Harry's questions, and two: she knew Ron hated him. 

But sticking to this decision was getting more and more tiring everyday. Krum had now started talking about his mother, and that was even worse than his Quiditch stories. He had completely no sense of humor! Occasionally Hermione would try to tell him something funny that happened during class, but he was always disapproving. It scared Hermione to think that others might think of her a bit like what she thought of Krum whenever she stopped them from making mischief! Sure, Hermione was practical, but she did have a sense of fun, while Krum had none at all!

That's why, after giving up on Ron _and_ Krum, Hermione had no one left to think about except her secret admirer. All day she wondered who he would be, what he would be doing, how he would look, how he felt… she wanted so desperately to know who it was! 

Whenever she met anybody, the first thought that flashed through her mind was 'Could this be him?' She had even suspected Neville once when he had smiled shyly at her at Potions Class! It could be him… after all; he did ask her out to the ball! But somehow, Hermione couldn't picture Neville do anything as romantic as love letters! And if it was Victor, he sure hid it well! Hermione found that apart from Krum and the library, she just had her admirer to keep her busy.

Picking up her books, she excused herself from Victor as his story at last reached its boring finale and left the library wondering whether her admirer was anywhere near watching her. 

*

"Um, excuse me?" said a voice behind Ginny. She turned around and saw a boy she had never seen before. Well, she knew she had caught sight of him once or twice before, but had never spoken to him. 

He was barely a foot taller than her with chocolate brown hair and pale skin. His clear brown eyes looked her over once and then he continued, "I'm afraid I've lost my way! I know its rather embarrassing, this being my own school! But still, could you possibly point out the way out? I have to be at Hagrid's Hut in," he glanced at his watch. ",five minutes! Oh gosh!"

Ginny giggled at his worried face. It was difficult not to! The boy seemed so somber and genuinely embarrassed at being lost and was making such a big deal of it!

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" said Ginny smiling apologetically at his curious expression. "It's just that I've gotten lost a dozen times before and turned up in the oddest places! It's quite all right that you did! The castle is so huge, one can never tell the right way from the wrong! Of course I'll help you."

The boy smiled at her and Ginny felt a bit nervous in being in his company now. _'He really looks quite nice when his eyes crinkle up…'_ thought Ginny absently. 

"Thanks ever so much," he replied. "It's my first year here actually, and you?" he asked.

_'He's so polite!'_ thought Ginny remembering the two menaces that lived with her. 

"Oh, it's my second! But you're surely not in the first year?" she asked, her expression confused. He looked so much older than a first year!

"Oh, you little idiot! Of course I'm not a first year!" he answered laughing. "I'm in a Third year! Sadly my owl didn't reach me till this year! You see my parents are more like nomads so we're always moving. The poor owl has had a lot to do these two years!"

Ginny felt very stupid at thinking he was a First year! Of course he wasn't! But she didn't mind him laughing at her at all! He seemed so good-natured that it didn't seem like he was making fun of her! He was so different from her brothers!

"Actually, " he continued as they started walking together with Ginny showing the way. "I thought I was going pretty all right when this ghost came up, pretty stupid looking one too. Said I was going the wrong way and told me to come here! I've never even been to this part of the school before!" he finished, looking at Ginny.   
"Oh," replied Ginny, realization dawning on her. "You must have met Peeves! That idiot is such a menace! Never listen to him, he's always trying to mess people up." 

"So that was Peeves… I've heard a lot about him!" he said as they turned another corner. In front of them, the huge doors of the entrance to Hogwarts emerged. 

"Oh there they are!" said the boy spotting the doors. "And to think I was so close to them! Thanks so much! I don't know what I would've done without you!" 

"Oh, relax! It's all right, really! My class doesn't start in ten minutes, so I have plenty of time!" replied Ginny, turning pink at his words. 

He smiled at her again and then slapped his forehead as he thought of something. "Oh! I haven't even asked your name yet!" he said, flushing a bit himself. "I'm Ray Allen by the way."

"Ginny Weasley," she replied. "Do you know any of my brothers? I've got three here," Ginny added as an afterthought. Strangely, she knew that his class probably started in two minutes, but she wanted to speak to him some more. 

"Weasley, eh?" he said, wrinkling is forehead while thinking. "Oh yes! Why you're a Weasley! I mean of course you are, you just told me so! But you're _thee_ Weasley? Arthur Weasley's daughter?" he said, his eyes shining. 

"Y-yes," said Ginny curiously. "Do you know Dad?" 

"Of course I do! I mean, I've never really met him, but my father's always talking about him! Dad's also in the Ministry, he's the Head of the Muggle Protection Department so your dad is important in that too! What a coincidence!" he grinned. "Hey! I think I saw your picture in the Daily Prophet once! It was you, wasn't it? You seem a lot taller than what I saw in the picture," he said and looked at her.

Ginny felt very shy with him gazing at her like that! She chewed on her lip a bit and replied: "Yeah, that was me… I'm taller? Gee, thanks! My brothers are always saying that..." 

But before Ginny could continue, the bell rang shrilly around the hall. 

"Eesh, there's the bell, " Raymond answered adjusted his bag pack on his shoulder. "Well, Ginny, we'd better talk some other time, huh? Maybe we'll see each other at lunch! Thanks 'gain!" he called back at her as he started running towards the entrance. "See ya later!"

Ginny waved back at him and started walking back towards the direction of class, humming a tune, a slight spring in her step.

*

Not long now! Please be patient! I promise it'll end soon! Heheh, this story isn't centered on Ginny, y'know! :P Review please? Thanks for reading! ^_^

   [1]: mailto:shrinemistress@hotmail.com



	9. Chapter Nine...

And It Finally Dawned Up on Them…

And It Finally Dawned Upon Them… 

** **

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I don't own Harry Potter. And I'm glad of it too! I mean, who would want to be a multi-millionaire and a best-selling author with people loving you all over the world? Not me! ;P ****_

_~ Enchantress! ^^_

_[shrinemistress@hotmail.com][1]_

_ _

Chapter Nine… 

So there we have it. 

The situation between the friends was the strangest they had ever encountered before. Ron and Hermione didn't even look at each other and avoided one another like the plague. 

Ron felt a mixture of regret and anger and Hermione didn't forgive him for what he had done. Harry (even though he didn't show it in front of her) was so hurt by Cho that even though he tried to bring his friends back together, his heart wasn't in it. He wasn't successful either. Harry was so sick of all fights that he started moping about alone and neither Ron nor Hermione thought of comforting him since they had enough troubles of their own. 

A whole week passed but nothing new happened. Even the teachers had noticed the strange behavior of these students. Ginny and the twins had tried talking to each of them to find out what was wrong, but they had just got stormy looks and bad tempers as a result. 

Then one day, Saturday to be exact, Ginny made up her mind. She was sick and tired of having a cranky Hermione around. 

If Hermione had studied too much before, now she ate, slept and breathed books. Even Professor McGonagal, who as a great believer of studying day and night, asked her to be sensible about it.

"Hermione!" said Ginny, addressing the girl who was spread over a scroll doing her homework in the Gryfindor common room. Hermione looked up, a bored expression on her face and stared at Ginny who had her hands on her hips determinedly. "I want to talk to you… now!" said Ginny, her face serious. 

Hermione sighed, stretched her arms and got up. "Yeah?" she answered. "What?"

Ginny again noticed how sick Hermione looked. Her skin seemed to stretch over her deathly pale face and her eyes appeared hollow and lifeless. 

Ginny chewed her lip for a second. What was she going to say to someone older than she was? She didn't know. She just knew she had to try her best. 

"Come with me, Herm, let's go out…" Ginny replied noticing the interested faces of the other girls in the room looking at the two of them intently. 

Hermione sighed again and she put her scrolls and pens back into her bag and came with Ginny as they left the room. "This had better be good," Hermione said as they entered an empty classroom. "I have important things to do." 

"Herm, it's a holiday. Besides, I bet you've done homework in advance too!" said Ginny smiling at the other girl, hoping she would cheer up.

Hermione stared at her, obviously uninterested. 

Ginny made an impatient face. 

"Okay, Hermione. To business," Ginny said, trying to sound strict and competent as she sat down on a desk. "What is going on here?" the girl looked at her friend for an answer.

"What?" said Hermione, her eyelids half closed in boredom.

"Awright, I'll do the talking, you just listen," Ginny said, exasperated. " Hermione, I may be smaller than you… I may be dumber than you, I may be an idiotic busybody who doesn't mind her own business, but I care about what happens to you, Harry and my brother! You're my friend!" Ginny passed a tongue over her bottom lip uncertainly. "I don't know what happened to all of you guys suddenly! You're had so many adventures, saved each others lives… even defeated You-know-who so many times! You were always in that together, as a team. You guys can't do much without each other! You're the smart one, Harry's the talented one and Ron's the reliable one! How can you stay without them? Look, I know Ron can be a moron, trust me, I'm his sister. But he really cares about you… he's always talking about you at home! When you came to our place, he was all over trying to make everything perfect for you! I know he has a strange way for showing his feelings, but that's just the way he is! You should know! If the letters you got hadn't had bad things written about him, my first guess would be that he was the one writing them! Hermione, Ron really likes you… I've seen the way he looks at you. Face it; he's miserable… you're miserable! Poor Harry's just plain zonked out by all this! I can't talk to those two, they wouldn't understand… but you're a closer friend… and you're a girl. You can make everything better… give them another chance—give Ron another chance—_I'm_ sorry for whatever he's done! But trust me, I bet he had one of his stupid ideas at heart, not something to hurt you."Ginny took a deep breath. 

She had practically said the whole speech in one go. She gazed at her friend standing opposite to her. 

Hermione had her head bent and all her brown hair were cascading around her shoulders. Her expression was hidden. She turned her back to Ginny and said in a low, husky voice: "I… I've got to go…" 

Ginny looked at Hermione sadly as the door shut behind her. 

*

"Hermioniny… I have somethink to say to you," said Victor Krum as he strolled over to the bench Hermione was sitting on. It had been an hour since the lecture Ginny had given her and Hermione had nowhere to go where she could find privacy. The dormitory was full, the common room probably had Ron there, doing his homework and the castle seemed too crowded to her. 

Then she had found a neat little corner on the ground that was sheltered by a canopy of trees. A single white washed bench had been placed there and as soon as the scent of the pearly white blossoms that hung from the trees filled her lungs, Hermione had decided that was certainly a place _made_ for brooding.

She sat there for an hour, thinking over incidents that had happened the last fourteen days or so. Suddenly, in barely two weeks, her whole life had changed. 

She had lost her two best friends, she didn't like Victor anymore, the teachers were worried about her, she had constant throbbing headaches, she was constantly on watch for any suspicious boys lurking about her, she had received about twenty-nine letters, Ginny and the twins were worried about her… 

Head in her hands, Hermione wondered whether it was all her fault. Should she have told Ron to take her out? Would none of this have happened if she hadn't held a grudge? Had Ron acted this way because of some weird, unknown reason, but he hadn't wanted to hurt her, as Ginny said? Was Harry so depressed because of Ron and her or had something else happened that she had not even paid attention to? Was Ginny right? Should she apologize to Ron? 

But then, rebellious thoughts came rushing into her mind. _Ron_ should have asked _her_ out, it was never the girl asking the boy out! And who could blame her for holding a grudge? If your friend (who happens to be a boy) was desperate for a date and still didn't ask _you_ out, then why shouldn't you gold a grudge? It was human nature! And if Ron had a good reason for behaving like he did, he still had no right- no right at all- to look through her stuff in the middle of the night! And Harry… he was acting strange… very strange… maybe she should try to help him at least. He was her friend. But apologizing to Ron also made Hermione's blood boil. _He_ should apologize to _her_! He was the one acting stiffly… she had done nothing wrong!

Hermione's head starting hurting again… the more she thought, the more confused she became, the more hurt she would get. Sometimes she felt liking crying at the confused situation and sometimes shouldn't want to flush Ron down the drain! She felt like a mass of conflicting emotions!

When she thought her head would burst with all her thoughts, she heard someone walking towards her. She looked up with a pained expression plastered on her face.  
It was Krum and he called out to her. He looked grave. 

"Hermioniny… I've been looking for you," he said, sitting down next to her. "I've got something important to tell you," he added, staring ahead like some kind of robot.

"I think ve should be friendz… just friendz. I have this feeling that ve will nat make a very good… what do you call it… couple? Yes, couple. I have my interests, and you have yours. They conflict. If ve keep steady…" Hermione felt as if he was talking about a Quiditch match, not a break up. "it shall nat be good. I am sorry if I have hurt you, I did nat mean to, Hermioniny." 

Hermione didn't know whether throw her arms around him and thank him, or to burst out crying since she had lost another… friend? 

"It's al-alright," Hermione croaked. "I always thought of you as my friend, Victor, let's still be friends." She said, not looking at him either. 

Anybody watching them would've been amused! Two people, a boy and girl, sitting in a lonely romantic spot together, neither of them looking at each other and talking to each other as if they were twenty feet away!

Victor as so relieved by this that he actually broke into a radiant smile and impulsively hugged Hermione and kissed her on the cheek. 

"Thank you, Hermioniny!" he said, his face flushed. "You relieve my mind so much!" he said and then thanking her again, strode away. 

Hermione shook her head, happy after a long time, and gave a short laugh. He clearly had expected her to make a scene.

This time her thoughts were a degree more cheerful. 

*

_Please review! Thank you for reading! Next chapter's gonna be IT!!! The whole plot unfolds in it! Do visit soon to read it! ^_^_

   [1]: mailto:shrinemistress@hotmail.com



	10. Chapter Ten...

And It Finally Dawned Upon Them…

And It Finally Dawned Upon Them… 

** **

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I don't own Hp, read on! _

_ _

_Note: The House Tournament is in this chapter and it's naturally different from the one in the book and **really** contrasts with it! Remember, this is just a ~*fanfic*~! And 'xuse me for some bad language! I said it was PG, riiight? ^_^_

**_ _**

_~ Enchantress! ^^_

_[shrinemistress@hotmail.com][1]_

_ _

Chapter Ten… 

It was that time of year again when the houses battled to win the glory of the house cup. 

Harry played Quiditch with all his heart and soul because it kept him sane with all the tension mounting up between his group. Like Hermione dived into her books, Harry did the same with Quiditch. Day or night, the Gryffindor team practiced hard, trying out new strategies and maneuvers. Even when the team wasn't practicing, Harry would take up his broom and fly over the field, mostly because he was lonely and depressed. He knew that this was the biggest fight his friends had ever had. After all, it had been so long and they still hadn't made up. But Harry was sick of them both, he was sick of being nice to others, and he was sick of being hurt. So, instead of facing his friends, Harry just went into his shell. He just couldn't take stormy attitudes any more. Cho had deliberately led him to believe that she really liked him, only to drop him like a hot potato! 

It was as if his eyes had been opened. He now saw Cho not through rose tinted glasses, but for what she was. She had used him and now her confident attitude irritated him. She didn't seem like a loyal person at all, she was as frank with everyone else as she was with Cedric. Maybe it was better that she had told him when she had before he had really started liking her. 

Still, with the House Cup Tournament being so close, the teams were practicing hard and Harry had little time to worry over his troubles.

Like many times before, the match was between the Gryffindors and the Slytherins. The Gryffindors were behind Slytherin twenty points to begin with, but if they won the tournament, the cup would be theirs. After working day and night, Harry was finally ready for the event. 

Whenever a Quiditch match was near, the students would get excited and restless. Everyone talked about it, studies slacked and everything else seemed unimportant. The Slytherins would become bossier and the Gryffindors felt like giving them all a swift kick. But, even Ron and Hermione couldn't be sad forever. Even they cheered up and little, though they were still as hostile towards each other. Still, they had started talking freely to the others, and that was a good sign. Hermione was now more than happy that she didn't have to spend so much time with Victor anymore; you didn't have to be a genius to deduce how the festive air would affect him.

"Good luck, Harry!" called Hermione just before the match and gave her friend a cheery smile. Harry looked at her, a trifle amazed. It seemed like he had forgotten what Hermione looked like when she smiled! Breaking into an impish grin, Harry waved at her and to Ginny who was sitting with a brown-haired boy he figured was a Third year student. 

As the whistle blew shrilly in the air, the game began!

It was truly a spectacular game, what with everybody playing so magnificently! Even Victor was impressed with Harry's clever flying methods and he was really enjoying himself. The way his eyes sparkled with enthusiasm and some sadness, one could see he was wishing he could zoom into the air and play too!

In another fifteen minutes or so, Harry made another one of his spectacular dives and before Draco could even realize what was going on, the whole crowd erupted with applause as they spotted a golden blob clutched by Harry.

The Gryffindors had won! 

Professor McGonagal happily announced the results and the two teams reluctantly shook hands. Draco seemed as if he was going to explode with anger! Another year the Slytherins had been defeated! Snape also looked as put out as Draco.

There was a terrific noise then as people rushed onto field, yelling, laughing and patting each other on the back. Even the teachers didn't have the heart to shush them up! It was always a happy occasion whenever the tournament was won! Most of the teachers went indoors while the students remained outside, celebrating. The other houses joined in and it was great fun! 

Strangely, Draco was still standing there on the field, wearing a very smug expression. Crabbe and Doyle were as always standing by his side, looking as intelligent as lumps of cabbage. 

"Well, well, well," said Draco in a very loud voice. "Seems like you've beat us again, Potter," he said nastily and scowled at Harry who had been shaking Krum's hand. 

"Yeah, Malfoy!" said the twins together.

"We kicked your ass- again!" said George and his friends started laughing. 

Draco gave him a patient smile. "It's good to hear that being as poor as beggars, you still can afford a laugh, Weasley." Replied Draco, turning up his nose in the twins' direction. 

"But," he continued, in a louder voice than before. "Now's my chance to give you all a good laugh. To prove how stupid Gryffindors are!" 

Hearing theses words, most of the crowd angrily looked at him, but he had apparently caught their attention. 

"This," Draco continued, taking out something from his bag. "is called a camera… it's a muggle thing. Though I hate to touch anything muggle, I found it quite exciting. It's amazing how these stupid muggles can make something so clever. My father got one for me. But you would know what it does won't you, Granger?" 

Hermione nodded and looked at Malfoy suspiciously. What was he up to?

Draco then barked some orders to his two henchboys and soon and huge screen was set up in front of the crowd. Whatever Draco was doing, he had chosen a good time for it. None of he teachers were present and practically all the students were. 

"Watch and be amazed at the stupidity!" yelled Malfoy and hit a button. 

For a second, the screen went blank. 

Then a picture came on. Everybody stared open-mouthed as a movie of the Yule ball started playing. Malfoy's camera had caught everything on film! Harry's surprise and Ron's jealousy at seeing Hermione dressed up were shown first.

"What, Weasley? Seeing that mudblood for the fist time?" sneered Draco. 

Ron and Harry just stood there, too embarrassed to speak. Draco on the other hand was acting as a commentator and was busy describing each person's emotions. Everybody gasped as they saw Harry and Cho leave the hall together and both of them got numerous scandalized looks.

Then Hermione went pale.

The screen had gone blank for a second but now a picture reappeared showing Doyle sending a letter by owl. 

A huge lump appeared in Hermione's throat. 

Then the screen showed Crabbe put some letters outside the Gryffindor girls' dorm. 

He had apparently gotten the password from Cedric when Pansy had lured him away from Cho during the Yule ball with her potion. Then the picture showed Hermione picking up the letters and blushing furiously. 

It then showed Draco writing the letters with a giggling Pansy and sending them by owl to her. It even showed how he put the flowers in her desk and her defending her 'admirer' in front of Harry and Ron. 

Hermione was gasping for breath now as she suddenly found she couldn't breathe.

Draco and his minions started laughing hysterically as they saw a picture of Hermione looking over her shoulder as she entered the library.

"The idiot!" said Draco between fits of laughter. "She never realized it was a prank! 'Secret admirer?' For that thing? Ha! She's even hoping someone gawking at her! As if a Potter fan club wasn't enough!" he bellowed.

All the Slytherins started laughing crazily and then the students from the other houses also started cracking up. 

"Now look! She's having fun! Weasley's so wimpy he can't say anything to her and she's playing around with Krum _AND_ looking for her admirer! This is rich!" cried Draco, wiping a tear from his eyes that was he result of his constant laughing. 

"So _THAT'S_ what was bugging her!" cried a girl behind Hermione and her group also burst into giggles. 

Hermione put her hands on her face in shame and started running. 

She didn't care where she went… anywhere away from everyone. Se ran on blindly and heard people laughing at her and Harry's calling out to her. 

She didn't know where to go. She ran on, into the castle, up the stairs, through the hole in the portrait, into the dormitory. She slammed the door and flung herself onto a chair and started crying uncontrollably.

She couldn't help it. It was too much for a person. The poor girl was so hurt; she could hardly believe it herself. It had all been a lie? The letters, the flowers… everything? She had broken up with the greatest friend she had ever had because of one of Draco's mean plans? 

Hermione cried on, wishing the earth would open up and swallow her. She wished she were back at home with her _normal_ parents, that she was back at her old muggle school. Hermione was so hurt, so deeply hurt, she herself didn't know how to react. 

Memories flooded back to her.She remembered the day she had first met Ron and Harry, how they hadn't liked her at first. She recalled the times when she was lonely. She remembered their killing the troll by themselves and becoming friends. Their working together through the maze to defeat you-know-who. She recalled all the times Ron had stuck up her in front of Draco, she remembered how he had reacted when Draco had called her a mudblood. She remembered the secrets they had shared, the fun they had had. She understood now that if it hadn't been for Ron, she would never have such a fun filled life. She would do nothing but get good grades, but would never _live_. Being with Ron and Harry had freed her. She could be herself with them… 

Understanding this now only made it worse for the poor girl. She cried even more bitterly over what she had lost by her own stupidity. 

*

Ron's eyes blazed as he saw the film. 

As it ended, he glared at Draco who was doubled over, still laughing. Then before Ron could say anything, Hermione ran away, people still laughing around them. Ron gave a group of girls such a revolted look that they choked on their laughter and became serious. Fred and George were stunned, their usual happy faces dead serious. Ginny was sobbing and a brown haired boy was busy comforting her. Harry was also stunned and flushed. Cho and Cedric angrily stomped away from the crowd as some Slytherins made fun of them too. 

"Listen, you son of a bitch!" yelled Ron to Draco, his face contorted into such a furious expression and Draco stopped laughing at once. "How- dare- you- do –that," said Ron through gritted teeth, his hands clenched into fists. Ron looked furious. His face was red, his eyes bulged and hair looked as untidy as Harry's. Ron's fists were so tightly clenched that his knuckles had turned white and veins were standing out. 

Draco looked scared out of his wits, but naturally tried to look as composed as he could… but he was a bit shorter than Ron and as he brought himself up to say something, Ron cut him off.

"Only a sick minded bastard like you could've thought of pulling such a prank," said Ron slowly and deliberately, his head bowed and his voice low and steady, but husky with sincerity. 

"Hermione is like no girl I've ever met. She's loyal, beautiful, intelligent, witty, courageous, faithful and I- I love her," Ron continued and the crowd gasped again at his words. The twins smirked and gave a high five and most of girls had backed away because Ron looked lethal, but their eyes sparkled with awe and admiration. 

"You just hurt my friend. And now," continued Ron, turned his head up, looking at Draco with eyes blazing with hatred. "I'm gonna hurt you."

Before Draco could even back away, Ron slammed his fist into the other's boy's face. Draco flew backward and fell unconscious, blood dripping from his nose. 

With a final poisonous glare at the filth at his feet, Ron ran after Hermione. 

The onlookers erupted into such a loud applause that it put the one that they had done at the tournament to shame. Even some of Slytherins were so awed by Ron that they also smiled. 

*

   [1]: mailto:shrinemistress@hotmail.com



	11. Chapter Eleven...

And It Finally Dawned Upon Them…

And It Finally Dawned Upon Them… 

** **

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I disclaim. I don't own HP or the song "Never Be the Same Again". Mel C sung it so I guess its hers! :P But I did rewind the song like crazy to get the lyrics! (gryn)_

_ _

_Note: Last chapter! Last chapter! Wai! Wai! Wai! (Hops around crazily) I'm so haaapeee…_

_And this is my first song fic-ish chapter, I usually don't like song fics, but this song was too perfect to pass up! ^_^_

**_ _**

_~ Enchantress! ^^_

_[shrinemistress@hotmail.com][1]_

_ _

Chapter Eleven… The Final Chapter… 

Ron entered through the portrait hole and looked around the deserted dormitory. He knew that Hermione could have only come here. Pursing his lips, he went over to the girls' dorm. Without knocking, he silently slid the door open and spotted Hermione sprawled over her desk, her head resting on the smooth oak.

Watching her so miserable made Ron's heart hurt. He wished he could do anything to make her feel better, to take away the pain. 

Suddenly, a twinkling music started playing. It was coming from a muggle thing of Hermione's, which she kept to play music. Now, perched on the dressing table, the thing started playing a song. 

Ron knew he wasn't very articulate, but he had to do something.

_~ I call you up whenever things go wrong,_

_You're always there, _

_You are my shoulder to cry on,_

_I can't believe it took me quite so long,_

_To take the forbidden step,_

_Is this something that I might regret? ~_

Taking courage into his hands, Ron silently entered the room. Hermione's face was hidden from him in her mass of hair and she was facing the window, again watching the blossoms gently float down.

"These days I'm always finding myself in the girls dorm, huh?" said Ron quietly, smiling gently at Hermione who had jerked upright at the sound on his voice. Her brow winkled and she turned her face away, but not before he spotted a tear slide down her pale skin. 

Ron really wanted to brush that tear away, to tell her that he was there for her, to make her feel better. Instead, he pulled up a chair next to her, wondering what to say._ _

_ _

_~ C'mon, c'mon,_

_Nothing ventured, nothing gained,_

_(I'm the one)_

_Only heartbreak can be tamed_

_ _

_C'mon, C'mon!_

_  
I'm hoping that you feel the same,_

_This is something that I can't forget! ~_

"Draco's dead meat," said Ron finally, frowning heatedly. "I think I broke his nose though," he said, smiling bitterly and examined his fist. It was red, swollen and was slightly bleeding.

Hermione gasped and turned around to face him. She didn't look at his face, but looked at his fist instead. Ron, on the other hand, watched her face intently. 

It looked as if it was made from very pale porcelain. Her eyes looked red and bigger, but Ron thought she was lovely, but knew that her smiling would make her look radiant.

Hermione bit her bottom lip as she saw a trickle of blood fall on the floor from Ron's hand. She hurriedly got up, soaked a towel from the bathroom and sat down next to him again. 

She took his hand, a slight pink color spreading over her cheeks, and started rubbing the towel very gently on his wound.

_~ I thought that we would just be friends,_

_Things will never be the same again,_

_It's just a beginning it's not the end,_

_Things will never be the same again!_

_ _

_It's not a secret anymore,_

_Now we've opened up the door,_

_Trying to light up from the one,_

_ _

_Never, never be the same again! ~_

"How did this happen, Ron?" she asked him so softly that he could barely hear her. 

"I kinda, well," Ron said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. "Punched Draco's lights out," he said quickly.

Hermione's eyes grew wide and she unconsciously clutched at his hand and he yelped. Hermione mumbled an apology and resumed her work on his hand, but this time, she looked up and stared directly into his trusting, deep brown eyes. 

"Why?" Hermione whispered.

Ron turned bright red, but looking at his feet, replied: "I was mad at him for playing such a dirty joke on you. The guy deserves worse though," and saying so, Ron's face resumed its formal furious expression. 

_~ Now I know that we were close before,_

_I'm glad I realized that I need you so much more!_

_And I don't care what everyone will say,_

_It's between you and me,_

_And we'll never be the same again! ~_

Hermione looked down at his hand again, but before she could stop herself, a tear fell onto his palm. She hastily brushed her stain away from her face and was going to brush it off his hand when he gently caught her hand. 

She remembered him holding her arm that night of their fight, but this time his touch was completely different. It was gentle, caring. Not daring to look at him, she bent her head lower. 

Ron raised her chin with is hand and looking at her said: "Don't waste any tears on me Hermione. I should be shot for all the things I've done to you," he said huskily.

_~ I thought that we would just be friends,_

_Things will never be the same again,_

_It's just a beginning it's not the end,_

_Things will never be the same again,_

_ _

_It's not a secret anymore,_

_Now we've opened up the door,_

_Trying to light up from the one,_

_ _

_Never, never be the same again, _

_Never be the same again! ~_

She gently shook her head, afraid to speak. 

"Ron," she said at last as she started cleaning his wound again. "I'm so sorry," Hermione's stomach hurt horribly. "I'm so very, very sorry…" she repeated. 

"Oh, Herm, you have nothing to be sorry about," said Ron seriously, his eyes sincere to the core. "Draco's plan was very carefully laid out. And you're such a great person that you could very well have an admirer, thousands of them too. It's me who should be apologizing," he said honestly and gave a false laugh. "I was such an ape. I was so jealous, so mad at Krum and you because you liked them and then the flowers… I couldn't help myself. I was so curious! I thought I would die with the longing to see what was going on," 

_~ I thought that we would just be friends,_

_Things will never be the same again,_

_It's just a beginning it's not the end,_

_Things will never be the same again!_

_ _

_It's not a secret anymore,_

_Now we've opened up the door,_

_Trying to light up from the one,_

_ _

_Never, never be the same again! ~_

_ _

"But, Ron," said Hermione, putting the towel on her desk. "If you had only asked me out-"

"I'm sorry about that too… you were just always there for me—and Harry. We were a team, a group, I just thought of everyone except you because I thought you'd just… be there. I guess, I took you for granted… I know how… special you are now, Herm, I really do," Ron said quietly. 

Hermione again had that feeling that her insides were getting tied into knots. She couldn't believe her ears. Ron even made not asking her out into a compliment. She felt so confused, yet so contented now. Her tears had dried and frowning, she sat there, not knowing what to say.

Ron had the same problem. He had said so much already… why couldn't he tell her how he felt about her? He opened his mouth and then closed it again.

_~ C'mon, c'mon!_

_Things will never be the same again!_

_Never be the same again! _

_ _

_C'mon, C'mon!_

_ _

_I'm hoping that you feel the same_

_This is something that I can't forget! ~_

_ _

They both sat there for ten minutes in silence, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. More of a break to absorb all they had heard previously. Ron's hand still rested in her lap while Hermione was looking down at it and Ron was noticing how beautiful the tree outside the window was.

"Ron," said Hermione at last, breaking the silence. "I—I suppose I just want to say that, well, I realized that you're always been there for me… all these f-four years and I just want to t-thank you for all you've done for me… and Harry too… You've always made it easier for me and stu-ck u-up for me, I guess… so thank you," she said, so nervous that she started stuttering between her sentences. 

Ron looked at her bent head and grinned at her solemn words. "You big dummy! You don't thank friends… they're your friends because they're there! I-- Harry and I, I mean, we'll always be there for you, Herm. These past days, we've all been acting goofy. We should just put it behind us… Friends?" Ron said, smiling at Hermione and gestured his hand for her to shake it.

_~ C'mon, c'mon,_

_Nothing ventured, nothing gained,_

_(I'm the one)_

_Only heartbreak can be tamed! _

_C'mon, c'mon! ~_

Hermione broke into one of the smiles she herself had forgotten she could do and grabbed his hand. It was sadly the hurt one and Ron cried out in pain. 

"Eesh, sorry, Ron, but you idiot, you shouldn't have given me that hand! Oaf!" scolded Hermione, laughing as Ron jumped up and down.

"I get myself beaten up for you and this is what I get?" said Ron, still hopping about and laughing with her. 

Then calming down and holding his hand protectively, he sat down next to her again and then shyly replied: "Herm, you do know how I feel—"

"Yes…" Hermione said very softly.

"Then do you—"

"Uh huh..." 

"You want to go see H—"

"Yes…"

"And talk—"

"Yeah…"

"Ginny…"

"Yeah, I know, worried…"

"Shall we---"

"Yes…"

Saying so, they stood up together and Ron very gently put her arm around her as they walked to towards the door. To his amazement, Hermione came closer and they both walked out together.

"Wasn't that just too romantic, girls?" said a voice through sobs.

"Oh yes! And I thought the time when Lily was proposed to was romantic…"

"This was undoubtedly better…'  
"So young too…"

"Quite!" sniffled another voice.

The mirrors had heard every word.

*

_Prologue: _

Harry had left the field and went looking for his friends, only to find them together and laughing cheerfully. Harry shook his head at Ron and Hermione acting like a couple and then smiled, glad that finally they had both gotten what they had wanted.

Ginny walked by with her new friend, Ray, and waved at Harry cheerily. Clearly, she had made a new friend. Harry remembered the times Ginny had always blushed at the sight of him, but now it seemed as if she had finally grown up. 

Harry decided that he too should move on, and when he saw Cho and Cedric next, he waved at them merrily and got amused by watching her get shocked. 

George became great friends with Paravati and Harry got his friends back.

Harry knew that now everything was just as it ought to be.

_ _

_~~ It's just a beginning it's not the end,_

Things will never be the same again! ~~ 

***

A/N: A final thank you to all the readers and reviewers! The story's finally ended! If you want to let me know whether I've ended it all wrong and you wanted Draco to fall in love with Ginny (Hehheh) go ahead! But note that the fic's already finished! Nyanyana! Still, thanks for being patient enough to read this whole darn thing! Have fun and go ahead and fall for your best friend! ^_^

~ Enchantress.

   [1]: mailto:shrinemistress@hotmail.com



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